Representatives from the Capital One Orange Bowl were backstage at Saturday morning’s ESPN College GameDay broadcast. Andrew P. Hertz, committee member and past president, along with member Salomon Sredni were there visiting with Athletic Director Pat Chun and others.

On Friday the pair met with WSU President Kirk Schulz and football Head Coach Mike Leach.

Hertz said they met with important members to build new relationships and maintain old ones, like their friendship with Chun. He said committee members meet with important officials of universities across the country. Hertz and Sredni are the first Orange Bowl members to come to a game in Pullman, Hertz said.

“We’re here to see a fantastic GameDay environment” Hertz said. “[Chun] is a good friend of ours, [he] used to be on the Orange Bowl Committee with us.”

The Capital One Orange Bowl serves as a semifinal in the College Football Playoff (CFP). The CFP is a four-team playoff system to decide the national champion for NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision teams.

The four teams who play are chosen by the CFP Selection Committee which ranks the teams one through four. Two semifinals take place, the No. 1 seed versus the No. 4 seed and the No. 2 seed versus the No. 3 seed.

Sredni said they have been impressed with what they have seen so far of the Cougs this season.

“The reality is if [the Cougs] keep winning we may see [them] for a semifinal down in Miami, you never know,” Sredni said.

Hertz said he was talking with a WSU fan who said he couldn’t imagine the Cougars in the Orange Bowl. Hertz said that if WSU continues to win, it could be that type of team.

“If the Cougs keep winning and they get that No. 4 spot and No. 1 is Alabama or Clemson, [they] could end up in Miami easily,” Hertz said.