no conspiracy... I could’ve announced it. I chose not to. There’s really nothing in it to hide. It’s fair for people to criticize.” College Football Playoff Committee In 2021, Barta served as chair of the College Football Playoff selection committee. He received widespread criticism for his contradictory and confusing reasons for the rankings, setting impossible standards for Group of Five teams, and establishing one hierarchy of evidence for one school before discarding it for another. Two weeks after Michigan State defeated Michigan, the committee ranked Michigan ahead of the Spartans. Barta stated "set aside watching the games, though that’s certainly a part of it. But statistically in just about every category, offensively and defensively, Michigan comes out on top over Michigan State." Awards On 2 March 2016, the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA) announced that Barta was one of four athletic directors from the Football Bowl Subdivision of the NCAA to receive the Athletic Director of the Year Award. References External links Iowa profile 1963 births Living people Iowa Hawkeyes athletic directors North Dakota State Bison football players Wyoming Cowboys and Cowgirls athletic directors Sportspeople from Minneapolis College Football Playoff Selection Committee members Players of American football from Minneapolis