Robert Shelton resigns as top executive of Fiesta Bowl
Jan 14, 2014, 9:51 AM | Updated: 10:02 am
Robert Shelton has resigned as the executive director of the Fiesta Bowl.
The news comes less than a month after Shelton helped secure the national championship game for the Fiesta Bowl in 2016. The bowl will also be a member of the College Football Playoff and host a semifinal game every three years.
“I think this is a great transition point for the Fiesta Bowl,” Shelton said in a statement. “I thank the Fiesta Bowl’s 2,900 volunteers, including the Board of Directors, for the opportunity to help restore this wonderful community institution.”
Shelton was hired from the University of Arizona, where he was the president, in June 2011 after a scandal left the bowl without top leadership.
“He was the ideal person at a crucial time in our history and we are deeply grateful for his contributions,” Fiesta Bowl Board Chairman Brian Hall said. “He has done a tremendous job setting us up for the new playoff system and it is now the Board’s job to take the lead in preparing our organization to best meet the future.”
Shelton will return to his professional roots as President of Tucson-based Research Corporation for Science Advancement.
