Sources - CFP eyes Air Force's Richard M. Clark to be boss - ESPN

Air Force Academy superintendent Richard M. Clark has emerged as the top target to become the next College Football Playoff executive director, sources told ESPN.

Clark is a former star linebacker at Air Force who went on to a distinguished career in the military that saw him rise to the level of Lieutenant General.

Sources told ESPN he impressed the College Football Playoff brass with his deep history of leadership, as he's described as having a strong history as a «leader of leaders.» He emerged from a pool of three finalists who interviewed in person this week.

His assignments prior to taking over as the superintendent at the Air Force included commanding bases around the country, working as a White House fellow and as a senior defense official in Egypt. His assignment prior to taking over at Air Force was Deputy Chief of Staff for Strategic Deterrence and Nuclear Integration at the Pentagon.

He'll take over for Bill Hancock, who announced his retirement after this current cycle of CFP bowls. Clark takes over the sport's postseason at a crossroads, the College Football Playoff expands to 12 teams starting in the 2024 season.

There's just two years remaining on the current CFP television contract. The contractual logistics of the final years remaining on the current deal — 2024 and 2025 season — are in flux.

The looming deal that will ultimately be the biggest challenge of Clark's tenure will be the next full contract for the CFP, which is expected to be a multi-billion dollar deal and projects to be split up among multiple media partners.

Structuring that deal will go a long way with shaping the future of the sport.

Clark also has strong relationships in Washington, D.C., which will loom large if the CFP role expands