Louisiana Vice President for Intercollegiate Athletics Bryan Maggard, Ph.D., has been appointed to the College Football Playoff (CFP) Selection Committee by the CFP Management Committee, CFP Executive Director Rich Clark announced on Monday.
Maggard will serve on the prestigious 13-person selection committee for the next three football seasons. Arkansas Athletics Director Hunter Yurachek will serve as selection committee chair for the 2026 season.
“It is an absolute honor to be selected for the College Football Playoff Selection Committee,” Maggard said. “I want to thank CFP Executive Director Rich Clark and Sun Belt Commissioner Keith Gill for this amazing opportunity. I am excited and humbled to serve with such a distinguished group of industry professionals.”
Maggard is one of three new members appointed to the College Football Playoff Selection Committee, joining Gus Malzahn, former head coach at Arkansas State, Auburn and UCF, and Jeff Tedford, former head coach at Cal and Fresno State. The new members will begin three-year terms this spring, replacing Chris Ault, David Sayler and Jeff Long, who completed their terms.
“The additions of Bryan Maggard, Gus Malzahn and Jeff Tedford will introduce strong, fresh perspectives to the selection committee as we enter our 13th season,” Clark said. “Each brings a deep understanding of the game, a genuine passion for college football and a commitment to integrity and excellence. Their diverse backgrounds as university leaders, recent coaches and former student-athletes will complement our returning members and allow for a seamless transition.”
The CFP selection committee is responsible for ranking the 25 teams in the playoff and assigning the top 12 participants to the playoff bracket. The committee meets in person beginning late in the football season and produces a ranking of the top 25 teams each week leading up to its final selections.
The other returning selection committee members are: Troy Dannen athletics director, University of Nebraska; Randall McDaniel, former All-American offensive lineman, Arizona State University; Mike Riley, former head coach, Oregon State University and the University Nebraska; Mark Dantonio, former head coach at the University of Cincinnati and Michigan State University; Ivan Maisel, former sportswriter for The Atlanta Constitution, Sports Illustrated, the Dallas Morning News, Newsday, ESPN and On3; Wesley Walls, former All-American tight end from Ole Miss; Chris Massaro, athletics director, Middle Tennessee State University; Mark Harlan, athletics director, University of Utah; and Carla Williams, athletics director, University of Virginia.
In his 10th year in leading Louisiana Athletics, Bryan Maggard has energized the Ragin’ Cajuns brand while building on a tradition rooted in success.
“We are thrilled to have Dr. Bryan Maggard, one of the longest-tenured athletic directors in the Sun Belt, represent the conference on the CFP Selection Committee,” said Sun Belt Conference Commissioner Keith Gill. “Under Bryan’s direction, Louisiana has reached new heights, appearing in eight-straight bowl games and five Sun Belt Football Championship games, winning two Sun Belt football titles and earning CFP rankings on six occasions. Bryan’s passion for college football and unique perspective have proved invaluable throughout my Sun Belt tenure and will be an asset to the CFP Selection Committee in this new role.”
Elevated to Vice President for Intercollegiate Athletics in June 2021, he has overseen one of the most successful stretches in department history, highlighted by football’s first outright Sun Belt Conference championship and both baseball and softball capturing league titles and advancing to NCAA Regionals in 2022.
“Dr. Maggard’s selection to the College Football Playoff Selection Committee speaks to the respect he has earned across collegiate athletics,” University of Louisiana President Dr. Ramesh Kolluru said. “We are proud of his leadership and excited to see the University and Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns Athletics represented at the national level.”
Maggard’s leadership has extended beyond competition. The department recorded a historic fundraising year in 2021-22, surpassing $30 million, including a landmark $15 million naming-rights gift for Cajun Field from Our Lady of Lourdes. In 2019, he introduced the “Let’s Geaux” strategic plan, centered on enhancing the student-athlete experience, strengthening fiscal and facility management, and cultivating a championship culture.
On the field, Maggard has made key hires that have shaped sustained success. He selected Billy Napier in 2017, ushering in a run of four consecutive Sun Belt West Division titles and back-to-back conference championships in 2020 and 2021. Following the 2021 season, he named former Cajuns quarterback and assistant Michael Desormeaux as head coach, who guided Louisiana to a 13-1 season capped by a New Orleans Bowl victory. Maggard’s emphasis on recruiting has also paid dividends, with football securing top-ranked Sun Belt signing classes and softball earning the nation’s No. 1 class in 2021.
Maggard has also strengthened the department’s external reach, spearheading a 10-year multimedia rights partnership with Learfield that has expanded the Ragin’ Cajuns’ brand locally and nationally. In 2024, his leadership was further recognized with an appointment to the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision Oversight Committee.
A native of Dexter, Kansas, Maggard arrived at Louisiana in 2017 following a 22-year tenure at the University of Missouri, where he served as Executive Associate Athletic Director. His wide-ranging responsibilities included oversight of student-athlete services and revenue-generating units, while also contributing to the university’s transition into the Southeastern Conference.
Maggard also held academic roles as an adjunct professor and graduate faculty member, and previously worked at Florida State and Kansas State in academic support services for football.
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