Husker fans who weren’t too zoomed in on the CBC Tournament this winter might have noticed that the North Carolina Tarheels got into the NCAA Tournament this year despite the fact that almost no one believed they deserved it. This fall, could the Nebraska football team get that kind of treatment?
When the Tarheels did get into the Big Dance, most people believed that UNC’s AD being on the selection committee played at least some part in them making it. Now the Huskers have a voice on the College Football Playoff Committee. It’s about time the Huskers took advantage of situations like this.
The playoff game has always been political - now Nebraska football can play it too
On Monday afternoon the College Football Playoff Committee announced two new additions and the Nebraska football team will now have someone in their corner. Troy Dannen is stepping in for Damon Evans, who recently became the athletic director at Southern Methodist University.
Dannen’s appointment appears to be long term while Jeff Long, the former AD at three different schools and original CFP chairman is joining the re-joining the committee for one year.
Even if Nebraska doesn’t get a very special voice pushing for the Huskers on the committee, Dannen’s appointment does show that the athletic program has a man that is well respected in college sports. The CFP Selection Committee put out a release that sung the praises of the Cornhuskers AD.
“Dannen has been a leader in charting the course for a new era of collegiate athletics, serving from 2021-23 as a member of the NCAA Constitution Committee and the Division I Transformation Committee. He also previously served as the chair of the NCAA Football Competition Committee and was an executive committee member of the Football Oversight Committee.”
While no one in Nebraska will be actively rooting to get an unfair advantage, the Huskers are hoping to have a resurgent season in 2025. If they do, it can’t hurt to have someone on their side very high up.
On the off chance they qualify, it will be nice to at least know that Dannen is arguing for the Nebraska football program, rather than actively shooting them down because of some decades old grudge.