Great News or Grim Signal? Nebraska’s Troy Dannen Joins the College Football Playoff Selection Committee
In a move that’s already stirring the simmering pot of college football politics, Nebraska athletic director Troy Dannen and former Kansas AD Jeff Long have been appointed to the College Football Playoff (CFP) selection committee. While on the surface this appears to be another routine rotation of power within the NCAA’s governing labyrinth, insiders and critics alike are bracing for the ripple effects this could send through the fabric of postseason college football.
Dannen, who only recently took the helm at Nebraska, is no stranger to the boardrooms of influence. Known for his stints at Tulane and Washington, he has built a reputation as a sharp strategist — part traditionalist, part disrupter. His appointment has ignited passionate debate. Supporters hail him as a forward-thinker who can bring Midwestern grit and insight to a committee historically criticized for coastal and SEC-centric bias. But detractors fear his loyalties could tilt decisions toward reviving Nebraska’s flagging football brand — a once-proud dynasty now scraping for national relevance.
“The optics are hard to ignore,” says Dr. Emily Thompson, a sports ethicist at Michigan State. “Nebraska has missed the playoff entirely since its inception. Dannen’s appointment feels like a calculated gamble to reinsert the Huskers into national conversations — not through wins, but through backdoor influence.”
The inclusion of Jeff Long only adds to the storm. A seasoned but polarizing figure, Long’s tenure at Kansas was marred by coaching controversies, most notably the Les Miles debacle. His return to a position of power has raised eyebrows across the college football world. “Long brings baggage,” said an anonymous Power Five AD. “It’s like inviting a fox into the henhouse — he knows how the system works, and how to work it.”
Together, Dannen and Long form a duo that, to some, represents the resurgence of Big Ten and Big 12 leverage. To others, it’s a distressing symbol of how the playoff system — already under fire for its lack of transparency — is increasingly vulnerable to manipulation by institutional clout and television money.
Behind closed doors, speculation is swirling that Dannen’s presence could tip marginal decisions Nebraska’s way, particularly if the playoff expands to 12 teams as planned. Would a 9-3 Huskers squad get the nod over a stronger but smaller-market program? “That’s the nightmare scenario,” Thompson warns. “Not just for fairness, but for the sport’s soul.”
Still, others argue the committee needs voices like Dannen’s. A man who knows what it’s like to fight for scraps outside the blue-blood elite, he could bring balance and challenge the SEC’s longtime stranglehold on postseason power.
Whatever side you land on, one thing is certain: college football’s future just got more complicated — and a lot more interesting. With Troy Dannen now holding one of the sport’s most influential levers, the stakes have never been higher, and the playbook just got a little murkier.
