Arkansas athletic director Jeff Long said Wednesday that he doesn't feel USC athletic director Pat Haden's actions against Stanford will affect him in his capacity on the College Football Playoff Committee.
Long, the chairman of the committee, was speaking at a Northwest Arkansas Touchdown Club meeting when he was asked about Haden, who said he was texted to come down to the sidelines during Saturday's game against Stanford in support of USC coach Steve Sarkisian and was spotted by ESPN cameras talking to officials.
"Well, you know, Bill Hancock from the College Football Playoff issued a statement," Long said via ArkansasNews.com. "But my view is very similar. You know, we can all get passionate about our teams, and you know, I’m passionate about the Arkansas Razorbacks. Matter of fact, I was at the volleyball game last night, and I was excited about some calls. But, you know, the Pac-12 handled it as they should. I think that it doesn’t affect the way that Pat Haden’s going to evaluate teams, make tough decisions when we come down to making tough decisions in the selection process. So, you know, I don’t think his actions affect his ability to serve extremely well on the Playoff Committee.”
Haden ended up being fined $25,000 by the Pac-12 and reprimanded. He apologized for his actions and said he wouldn't be on the sidelines for USC's next two games.
Hancock, the director of the CFP, said in a statement that the CFP recognizes athletic directors cannot be unbiased about the schools that employ them and it's why the committee has a recusal policy. Nine of the 13 members have recusal clauses, meaning they must leave the room when the team they are affiliated with is being discussed.
While Haden has received a lot of attention, Wisconsin athletic director Barry Alvarez has not. Alvarez was spotted screaming at the officials just after the opening kickoff on Saturday. In an email to Yahoo Sports, a spokesperson for the Big Ten said "the matter is not under review."
And if Alvarez's conduct isn't an issue, Haden's shouldn't be either. (Click here to listen to the Dr. Saturday podcast for more on the topic.) Long is correct. Haden's actions Saturday have nothing to do with his role on the committee and the issue of objectivity is clearly something the committee had been preparing for.
For more Arkansas news visit HawgSports.com.
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Nick Bromberg is the assistant editor of Dr. Saturday on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at nickbromberg@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter!
From Dr. Saturday - NCAAF - Yahoo Sports - Arkansas AD Jeff Long says Pat Haden's actions at Stanford won't affect CFP role
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