Field Level Media - Professional sports content solutions | FLM

College Football Playoff director Bill Hancock plans to retire soon after the 12-team playoff debuts at the end of the 2024 season.

Hancock provided more than his contractually obligated 12 months notice to the CFP board of managers on Wednesday at a meeting in California. He said he plans to retire when his contract expires Feb. 1, 2025, less than two weeks after the first 12-team playoff is scheduled to end with the national championship game.

“My time at the CFP has been a dream come true,” Hancock said in a statement. “I cherish what I do and the folks I get to work with. And I do love college football.”

The CFP board of managers overseeing the committee did not immediately name a replacement for Hancock, 72, who has been in the position since the creation of the playoff in 2012.

“Everyone who is blessed to work with Bill knows he is a highly skilled administrator, strong leader and truly good person,” Mississippi State president Mark E. Keenum said in a statement. “He’s a legend in college sports.”

Hancock has been a critical college sports power broker for decades. He was previously director of the Final Four for 16 years and was hired by the Bowl Championship Series (BCS) in 2005.

–Field Level Media