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(STATS) - Andrea Williams, the Big Sky Conference's first female commissioner, has accepted a position as chief operating officer of the College Football Playoff, CFP executive director Bill Hancock announced Tuesday.
Williams had guided the Big Sky since April 2016. She also had been serving as a member of the CFP's advisory committee and stadium operations team.
In her new role, Williams will be responsible for managing the national championship game and all affiliated events. She also will serve as the primary liaison with six bowl games that participate in the CFP arrangement and will manage the process for selecting sites for the championship games.
"I'm incredibly humbled to be selected as the CFP's chief operating officer," said Williams, who worked for the Big Ten Conference for 16 years prior to joining the Big Sky. "This is a very special organization and the people involved are first class. I am excited for this tremendous opportunity and honored to join the CFP team.
"I also want to extend a heartfelt thank you to the Big Sky Conference's outstanding presidents, administrators, faculty, coaches, athletes and league staff I was privileged to work with."
Williams replaces Michael Kelly, the CFP's first chief operating officer, who last month was named athletics director at the University of South Florida.
