Former Stanford provost and Secretary of State under George W. Bush, Condoleeza Rice is on the 13 man (that’s right, the other 12 are men) committee to select the teams to compete in this year’s very first college football playoffs. Among the other committee members are former pro football players like Archie Manning (father of Peyton and Eli) and Pat Haden–the Rhodes scholar who quarterbacked USC and the LA Rams. A bunch of athletic director types and Lt. General Michael Gould, the retired Superintendent of the US Air Force Academy, round out the crew.
What qualifies Rice for the position? Her father was a football coach. And she’s a fan. Also, one of her degrees is from Notre Dame. Bill Hancock, executive director of the College Football Playoff, told USA Today: “We wanted people of the highest integrity for this committee, and we got them. Every one of them has vast football knowledge, excellent judgment, dedication and love for this game.” It was not revealed whether any of the athletic directors could easily transition into the role of Secretary of State.
