A Selection Committee is a group of people who help to make hiring decisions. They should be made up of employees from a variety of departments and have diversity in terms of ethnicity and functional expertise. A Selection Committee also should include a chairperson and vice chairperson to help ensure that decisions are made in a fair manner. The Selection Committee should also have a process for reporting and resolving conflicts of interest that may arise during the review and assessment of candidates for a position.
There are a number of factors that go into making a Selection Committee, and each person brings his or her own perspective to the table. The goal is to make the best decision possible based on the information available. The selection process can be time consuming, and it is important for the committee members to be willing and able to participate in it.
College football selection committees are comprised of athletic directors (ADs), coaches, former players and media members. Many ADs have careers spanning multiple Division I programs and have been in different conferences, so they bring a unique perspective to the process. They are considered the most knowledgeable members of the committee and are always acting in the best interests of the game. The committee also strives to be as inclusive as possible, which is why it includes former players and media members.
Each Selection Committee member must evaluate and rank the teams in a particular round. The evaluation and ranking process usually takes place over the course of seven rounds. Each step of the process is designed to be thorough, with each committee member evaluating an immense amount of data and forming their own opinions. The evaluations are then compiled to produce a composite.
The final rankings are used to determine the field of 68 teams, which then gets broken down into regions and brackets. The regional assignments are determined by the geographic proximity of the teams. In some cases, a bowl partnership might override the region of a team, but the committee will try to keep the highest-ranked conference champion in each region and prevent top seeds from playing each other in the first round.
When assigning Playoff Quarterfinal sites, the committee will prioritize traditional contract bowls and priority will be given to those with which the committee has a relationship. The remaining eight slots will be allocated based on a team’s ranking.
Once the fields are set, the committee will decide where each team will play in the semifinals and championship games. The committee will also consider homefield advantage, strength of schedule and geographic proximity when determining the location of each game. Generally, the top four seeds in each region will be kept apart until the final playoff game.