Clemson University President Jim Clements has been named to the College Football Playoff Board of Managers. Clements replaces Florida State University President John Thrasher, who is retiring.
Comprised of 11 University Presidents, the board governs College Football Playoff business, property and affairs. The board develops, reviews and approves annual budgets, policies and operating guidelines, and has authority over all aspects of the CFP operations.
“President Thrasher did an exceptional job representing the ACC on the CFP Board of Managers and we’re so thankful for his leadership,” said ACC Commissioner Jim Phillips. “As a league, it was our charge to find another outstanding representative to serve in this prestigious role, and we are extremely pleased that President Clements has humbly agreed to begin serving in this role immediately. To be certain, I am grateful to both President Thrasher and President Clements for their incredible service to their respective schools, the ACC and the College Football Playoff.”
“I am honored to be selected to represent the ACC on the College Football Playoff Board of Managers,” said Clements. “Clemson has had outstanding experiences playing in the CFP, and I look forward to the opportunity to work with my colleagues from conferences across the country.”
“We are delighted that President Clements will be joining the Board of Managers,” said Bill Hancock, Executive Director of the College Football Playoff. “His knowledge and his experience as a campus leader will provide a great perspective. As we welcome Dr. Clements, we also want to take this opportunity to thank President Thrasher for the wisdom, leadership and intuitive guidance he provided during the six years he served on the board.”
The members of the College Football Playoff Board of Managers are Chief Executive Officers from the 10 Football Bowl Subdivision conferences (American Athletic, Atlantic Coast, Big Ten, Big 12, Conference USA, Mid-American, Mountain West, Pac-12, Southeastern and Sun Belt) and the University of Notre Dame.
Clements became Clemson University's 15th president on Dec. 31, 2013. Since his arrival, Clemson has raised the bar in admissions, enrollment, research, diversity, graduation and retention rates. Clements is a nationally recognized leader in higher education who has served as president of a university in three different athletic conferences – the Big East, the Big 12, and the ACC, where he served as the 2016-17 chair of the ACC Council of Presidents and currently serves as the presidential representative for the ACC-ESPN network partnership. He also served as Chair of the Board of Directors for the Association of Public and Land- Grant Universities in 2015, and continues his service in a national leadership role.
During Clements’ tenure, Clemson has won two football national titles, made five straight CFP appearances and captured five consecutive ACC titles.