Former Notre Dame linebacker and tight end Rod West will replace Ray Odierno on the College Football Playoff selection committee, the CFP announced on Wednesday.
Odierno is stepping down for health reasons after two years on the committee.
“General Odierno was a terrific member and we are sorry to lose him,” CFP executive director Bill Hancock said in a prepared statement. “But Rod West will fit right in. He knows the game, he loves the game, and he will share the other members’ dedication to selecting the right teams.”
West lettered three years at linebacker and tight end at Notre Dame, including the Fighting Irish’s 1988 national championship football team. He is a past president of the Allstate Sugar Bowl and a member of the board of directors for the National Football Foundation.
West is currently group president, utility operations for Entergy Corporation, and is responsible for the operational and financial performance of Entergy’s five operating companies.
“I am honored to have been invited to join the College Football Playoff Selection Committee,” West said in a statement. “It is an exciting time for college football, and I look forward to upholding the high standards of the CFP with the distinguished group of individuals who make up the selection committee.”
The current selection committee members are Mitch Barnhart (athletic director, University of Kentucky), Gary Barta (athletic director, University of Iowa) (chair), Paola Boivin (professor, Arizona State University), Tom Burman (athletic director, University of Wyoming), Charlie Cobb (athletic director, Georgia State University), Boo Corrigan (athletic director, North Carolina State University), Chris Del Conte (athletic director, University of Texas at Austin), Rick George (athletic director, University of Colorado), Will Shields (former All-American offensive lineman, University of Nebraska), R.C. Slocum (former head coach, Texas A&M University), Joe Taylor (vice president for athletics and community wellness, Virginia Union University), Rod West (group president, Entergy Corporation), John Urschel (former All-American offensive lineman, Penn State University).
“Serving with the other committee members was a great honor,” Odierno said in a statement. “I treasured the opportunity as we all gave back to the game we love so much. The committee has an excellent process and a strong base of integrity and I know they will continue to do good work in the future.”
This season’s playoff semifinals are Dec. 31 at the Goodyear Cotton Bowl and the Capital One Orange Bowl. The College Football Playoff National Championship is Jan. 10, 2022, at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, Indiana.
