College Football Playoff formally approves changes to committee after Mack Rhoades steps down as chair

The College Football Playoff commissioners have formally approved the appointments of Utah athletic director Mark Harlan to the CFP selection committee and the promotion of Arkansas AD Hunter Yurachek to the group’s new chair, according to On3‘s Pete Nakos. The Playoff committee confirmed the news shortly after it broke in a press release Thursday afternoon.

This comes after Thursday’s earlier news that Baylor AD Mack Rhoades is stepping away from his chairmanship role and the selection committee due to personal reasons.

“We are deeply appreciative of Mack Rhoades’ leadership and service as Chair of the College Football Playoff Selection Committee this season,” CFP executive director Rich Clark said in the release Thursday. “Mack has informed us of his decision to step down for personal reasons, and our thoughts are with him and his family during this time. We are pleased to announce that Hunter Yurachek will assume the role of Selection Committee Chair, effective immediately. Hunter’s experience, integrity, and commitment to the game make him exceptionally well-suited to lead the committee as it continues its important work throughout the remainder of the season.”

Baylor AD, College Football Playoff chair Mack Rhoades takes leave of absence from school, committee

Rhoades took a leave of absence from both of his roles as the CFP committee chair and as Baylor’s AD earlier Thursday amid reports he’s currently being investigated by the school following new allegations. This new investigation is reportedly not related to a previous investigation into a pair of troubling interactions with Baylor tight end Michael Trigg and an unnamed Bears assistant coach during the Sept. 20 home loss to Arizona State that was reported last week by OutKick‘s Trey Wallace.

Additionally, Dellenger reported these new allegations “do not involve Title IX or any direct interaction with a Baylor athlete.” Rhoades is the second member of the usual 13-member CFP selection committee to step away this season after Arizona State alum Randall McDaniel also left the committee in mid-October for personal reasons.

Yurachek was already part of the current 12-member CFP selection committee following his 2024 appointment and would be the CFP committee’s second chairman to come from Arkansas after former Razorbacks AD Jeff Long was the inaugural chair of the Playoff selection committee between 2014-17.

Harlan briefly served on the CFP selection committee in 2023, Utah’s final year in the Pac-12. During an appearance on The Pat McAfee Show on Thursday, ESPN’s Heather Dinich explained why Rhoades’ seat was filled by a fellow Big 12 athletic director like Harlan.

“The chair is open and the most likely scenario at this point is that they will replace Rhodes, and they would replace him with a Big 12 athletic director because that’s what he was,” Dinich told McAfee. “The most likely thing is that they’re going to get somebody who has done this before as well. So, I would expect a former committee member to rejoin the group from the Big 12.”

— On3’s Grant Grubbs contributed to this report.