DALLAS -- Conference USA commissioner Britton Banowsky is stepping down after nearly 13 years running the league to join the College Football Playoff.

Banowsky will become executive director of the College Football Playoff Foundation, the organization's charitable arm.

Banowsky will stay with the C-USA until the conference finds his replacement. The league says it expects the board of directors will conduct a special meeting to discuss the search in September. The conference's regular board of directors meeting is scheduled for Oct. 25-26.

Banowsky replaced Mike Slive and became the second Conference USA commissioner on Oct. 28, 2002. He has guided the conference through constant turnover in membership and leaves it with 14 schools and one of the most expansive footprints in college sports.