Members of the College Football Playoff Selection Committee defended former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice’s position on the committee, saying it is not necessary to populate the entire committee with former coaches and players. Rice had faced some backlash earlier this fall from people questioning the depth of her football knowledge. During a panel discussion at the '13 IMG Intercollegiate Athletics Forum, former Nebraska coach Tom Osborne said Rice has a place on the committee, which he described as "a pretty good blend of people who have coached and are active in the game, people who are decision makers, people who obviously can understand the process."
"She is the daughter of a coach," he said. "She has been a provost in charge of athletics at Stanford. Obviously, she's a big football fan, and she certainly has been in heated battle. We certainly respect her intelligence."
The conference continues today and will include panel sessions on "College Sports Business Headlines of the Day," "The Benefits of Owning Your Own Media Network" and "Innovations that Add to the Game-Day Experience," as well as a presentation on "Fostering Community Engagement through College Sponsorships." Get more updates on our On The Ground blog, and follow the Twitter hashtag #sbjiaf.
