Washington State athletic director Pat Chun named to CFP selection committee

In a bit of irony, Washington State athletic director Pat Chun, whose football program won’t have a full conference next season, was named to the College Football Playoff selection committee, it was announced Thursday.

The committee helps decide which teams will make the College Football Playoff, which for the first time will consist of 12 teams during the 2024-25 season. The committee ranks the top 25 teams at the end of the season, and the 12 playoff participants consist of the six highest-ranked conference champions, plus the next six highest-ranked teams.

Chun’s addition means there are two Cougars with a say in the CFP’s management. Chun joins WSU President Kirk Schulz, who is the Pac-12 Conference’s representative on the committee.

The committee is in the midst of working to restructure the playoff format because of the collapse of the Pac-12 Conference. Only WSU and Oregon State will remain in the conference after the spring sports seasons conclude.

Schulz is in favor of the current format instead of a proposed idea to take away one of the six conference champion spots and replace it with an at-large spot in the 12-team field.

Washington State next season will play a football schedule mostly consisting of Mountain West Conference opposition, but will remain as a member of the “Pac-2” with Oregon State. WSU and OSU have two years to try to rebuild the Pac-12.

It remains to be seen what changes will be made to the CFP’s 12-team format and how it will affect WSU.

Chun was picked as one of six new committee members by Bill Hancock, executive director of the CFP. The other five are Randall McDaniel, former All-American defensive lineman from Arizona State; Gary Pinkel, longtime coach at Missouri and the University of Toledo; Mack Rhodes, athletics director at Baylor; Carla Williams, athletics director at Virginia; and Hunter Yurachek, athletics director at Arkansas.

“The additions of Pat, Randall, Gary, Mack, Carla and Hunter will bring some great new voices to the selection committee as we enter our 11th season,” Hancock said in a news release. “Their knowledge, passion and character, along with their understanding of college football, will allow them to make the transition seamlessly with the returning members.”

Chun, a former Under Armor athletic director of the year in 2019, is in his sixth season as Washington State AD. He has helped the Cougars navigate the COVID-19 pandemic and the collapse of the Pac-12, and fundraising is at an all-time high since his arrival.

Prior to coming to the Palouse, he was athletic director at Florida Atlantic University for five-and-a-half years.

Wiebe may be contacted at (208) 848-2260, swiebe@lmtribune.com or on Twitter @StephanSports.