Carla Williams named to College Football Playoff Selection Committee

The College Football Playoff (CFP) Management Committee has appointed Virginia director of athletic Carla Williams to the CFP Selection Committee, it was announced today (Feb. 8) by Bill Hancock, Executive Director of the CFP.

Also named to the committee were Patrick Chun, athletics director at Washington State; Randall McDaniel, former All-American defensive lineman from Arizona State; Gary Pinkel, longtime head coach at the Toledo and Missouri; Mack Rhodes, athletics director at Baylor and Hunter Yurachek, athletics director at Arkansas.

Michigan athletic director Warde Manuel was appointed as the selection committee chair for the 2024 football season.

As a new member, Williams will begin a three-year term starting this spring. The new members will replace Mitch Barnhart, Boo Corrigan, Mark Harlan, Gene Taylor, Joe Taylor and Rod West, whose terms have expired.

Hancock also announced that the management committee has extended the term of Will Shields, former All-American lineman at Nebraska, for an additional year.

“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. “Their knowledge, passion and character, along with their understanding of college football, will allow them to make the transition seamlessly with the returning members. And it is great to have Will Shields returning. His understanding and wisdom will be a real benefit.”

“It is an honor to be invited to serve on the College Football Playoff Selection Committee,” Williams said. “This is an exciting time for the sport with the expansion to 12 teams. There is a tremendous responsibility associated with this position and I am excited to serve at such an important time in the sport’s history.”

“Carla is an outstanding advocate for college football and will be a knowledgeable, passionate and valuable member of the College Football Playoff Selection Committee,” said ACC Commissioner Jim Phillips. “Throughout her time at Virginia as well as her entire career, Carla has consistently shown to be a tremendous leader. She follows the three-year tenure of Boo Corrigan, including two years as the chair, and we are very grateful for Boo’s dedication and service as a representative of the ACC.”

Williams is in her seventh year as director of athletics at Virginia. During her time in Charlottesville, UVA teams have captured multiple national titles across numerous sports, including the 2019 men’s basketball title, 2019 and 2021 men’s lacrosse titles, three straight women’s swimming and diving championships from 2021-23, and the 2022 and 2023 men’s tennis team titles. In addition, UVA has won 17 ACC Championships.

In the classroom, UVA student-athletes have set record numbers for placement on the ACC Honor Roll, achieved the highest-grade point average totals in program history, and been recognized by the NCAA for outstanding achievement on academic progress reports. In all, 12 UVA student-athletes have been named ACC Scholar-Athlete of the Year in their respective sports since 2020. In 2021, the Sports Business Journal named Williams one of its finalists for Division I athletics director of the year.

Williams was a three-year starter and All-SEC guard for the Georgia women’s basketball team from 1987-89. Williams then served as an assistant coach for the team before moving into administration as UGA’s assistant director of compliance for a year before taking administrative roles at Florida State and Vanderbilt. In 2004 Williams returned to Georgia where she worked her way up the ranks to deputy director of athletics before departing for UVA. Williams has a bachelor’s and master’s degree from Georgia and a doctorate from Florida State.