Pat Haden steps down from Playoff Committee

Dan Wolken | USA TODAY Sports

Southern California athletics director Pat Haden is stepping down from his role on the College Football Playoff selection committee, he announced Friday.

The committee was supposed to meet in Dallas for the first time this weekend and release its initial top 25 poll on Tuesday night.

Haden, 62, has dealt with health challenges in recent years and is currently in the middle of another football coaching change after firing Steve Sarkisian earlier this month.

"I am reluctant to step down, but my doctors advised me to reduce my traveling,” Haden said in a release. “With the weekly CFP meetings about to start and the travel commitment involved, I had to make this difficult decision. I feel it is in the best interest of the CFP and also of USC, with our current football coaching change and our upcoming Coliseum renovation.”

CFP executive director Bill Hancock said the committee will continue with 12 members this season. It did the same last year after Archie Manning resigned from the committee in September.

Will miss Pat Haden on selection committee. Good man. Knows and loves college football. But the committee will be fine with 12 members. — Bill Hancock (@BHancockCFP) October 30, 2015

The Pac 12 will be able to nominate one of its athletics directors to replace Haden next year.

"I want to thank Pat for his service to the College Football Playoff Committee," Pac-12 Commissioner Larry Scott said in a statement. "He brought extremely valuable expertise and institutional knowledge to the process, and helped usher in a great new chapter for college football as part of the inaugural selection committee.

"I fully support Pat's decision given his doctor's recommendation and his campus priorities. I am confident in the 12 remaining committee members to represent the best in all of college football and to select the best teams for the Playoff."