CFP employs Air Force’s Clark as executive director

• Pete Thamel, ESPNNov 10, 2023, 10:30 AM ET

Air Force Academy superintendent Richard M. Clark has been called the next College Football Playoff executive director.Clark is a previous

star linebacker at Air Force who went on to a recognized career in the armed force that saw him increase to the level of lieutenant general.”General Clark’s experience leading the U.S Air Force Academy as a Three-star General and likewise being a four-year letter winner with the U.S Air Force Football group provides him a strong background to master this vital management role,”Mark Keenum, Mississippi State president and the chairman of the CFP board of supervisors, said in a statement.Sources told ESPN that Clark impressed the CFP brass with his deep history of leadership, as he is referred to as having a strong background as a “leader of leaders.”He emerged from a swimming pool of 3 finalists who spoke with personally this week.Editor’s Picks 2 Associated Clark’s tasks prior to taking over as the superintendent at the Air Force consisted of commanding bases

around the

nation, working as a White House fellow and acting as a senior defense official in Egypt. His assignment before taking control of at Flying force was deputy chief of personnel for strategic deterrence and nuclear combination at the Pentagon.He takes over for Bill Hancock, who revealed his retirement after this present cycle of CFP bowls.”We will undoubtedly miss Bill Hancock, however I want to note that Costs has enthusiastically used to stay on board through January 2025 to assist General Clark get ready,” Keenum said in the statement.”Bill will stay at the helm throughout this season, while 2024 will mark a year of transition. Costs has actually been an impressive leader for CFP’s very first 10 years. Everyone in college football owes Bill a debt of appreciation.”Clark takes control of the sport’s postseason at a crossroads; the College Football Playoff expands to 12 teams beginning in the 2024 season. “College football is an American tradition unlike any

other,”Clark stated in a declaration.”Specifically now, as the Playoff is broadening from 4 groups to 12 groups, this is an interesting time for fans and everyone involved in this excellent game. I’m excited to be a part of it and I eagerly anticipate beginning my work. “There are just two years staying on the CFP’s tv contract. The legal logistics of those last years on the current offer– for the 2024 and 2025 seasons– remain in flux.Ultimately, the biggest obstacle of Clark’s period will be the next full CFP contract, which is expected to be a multibillion-dollar deal and jobs to be split up among multiple media partners.Structuring that deal will go a long way to forming the future of the sport.Clark also has strong relationships in Washington, D.C., which loom large if the CFP role broadens from the mostly procedural role of Hancock.