College Football Playoff Selection Committee adds Nebraska AD Troy Dannen, Jeff Long returns for second stint

The College Football Playoff Management Committee announced Monday that Nebraska athletic director Troy Dannen and former coach and administrator Jeff Long will be joining the selection committee ahead of the 2025 season. Dannen will be replacing Damon Evans, who was recently named athletic director at SMU, and Long will be stepping in on a one-year basis for Steve Weiberg.

"We are pleased to have Troy and Jeff join the committee," College Football Playoff executive director Rich Clark said in a statement. "Troy brings a long commitment to college athletics to our group and previous experience as a member of the FCS Selection Committee, while Jeff, as the first chairman of the CFP selection committee (2014-15) will step in immediately and provide an experienced voice in the room."

Long, who served as an assistant coach from 1982-87 and as the athletic director at Pittsburgh, Arkansas and Kansas from 2003-21, was instrumental in the early years of the College Football Playoff. In addition to serving as the first chairman from 2014-15, he was also a member of the selection committee through the 2018 season.

Dannen is entering his second year as the athletic director at Nebraska. He began his career in administration at Northern Iowa, is alma mater, from 2008-15 before transitioning to Tulane. He remained with the Green Wave until 2023, when he was hired at Washington. The Huskies made a run to the College Football Playoff National Championship during Dannen's tenure and he hired current Washington coach Jedd Fisch prior to his hiring at Nebraska.