college football bowl game referee assignments

College Football Playoff referees: Officiating crews for Fiesta Bowl, Peach Bowl

By cody williams | dec 31, 2022.

Dec 31, 2022; Glendale, Arizona, USA; The video board at the 2022 Fiesta Bowl prior to the College Football Playoff (CFP) semifinal between the Michigan Wolverines and the TCU Horned Frogs at State Farm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

Looking at the College Football Playoff referees with the officiating crews for both the Fiesta Bowl and the Peach Bowl.

Though many players would argue that any bowl game is important, there’s no denying that the stakes are just higher for the College Football Playoff. So for TCU vs. Michigan in the Fiesta Bowl and Ohio State vs. Georgia in the Peach Bowl as the semifinal matchups, all eyes were on those games.

Because of that, you’d expect that the College Football Playoff referees would be the best of the best that the officiating world had to offer. Of course, refs are always going to be insanely criticized, especially when they are on the biggest stage in the sport.

Having said that, the crews were meticulously selected for the CFP bowl games and here are the refs that were selected for each game.

Fiesta Bowl referees for TCU vs Michigan

It was an SEC officiating crew — one affiliated with neither team playing in the game — for the Fiesta Bowl. Here were the assignments set out for the referees in Arizona.

Head Referee: Jason Autrey
Umpire: Brent Sowell
Head Lines: Nicholas Theriot
Line Judge: Michael Taylor
Field Judge: Daniel Gautreaux
Side Judge: Sean Petty
Back Judge: Martin Hankins
Center Judge: Chris Garner
Alternate: Scott Walker
Replay Official: David Almand
Communicator: Marc Gervais

Peach Bowl referees for Ohio State vs Georgia

For the Peach Bowl officiating crew, they once again went with a crew not affiliated with either team as it was a Pac-12 group, though fans from that conference will tell you that might not be a good thing. Here’s a look at the refs for the Ohio State vs. Georgia matchup.

Head Referee: Chris Coyte
Umpire: Greg Adams
Head Lines: Darryl Johnson
Line Judge: Dale Keller
Field Judge: Steve Currie
Side Judge: Jeff Dahle
Back Judge: Joe Johnston
Center Judge: John Love
Alternate: Steve Strimling
Replay Official: Jerry Meyerhoff
Communicator: Terry Leyden

The hope for these crews, of course, is that they don’t become storylines for either College Football Playoff game.

dark. Next. 5 Alabama stars who won’t be back in 2023 and who will replace them

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SEC Football Officiating Evaluation and Accountability - Southeastern Conference

SEC Football Officiating Evaluation and Accountability

The rapid, remarkable rise of college football official Amanda Sauer

Graduate of Northwestern University. Follow on X

Amanda Sauer's path to midfield at Ohio Stadium, wearing the white hat as referee of Ohio State's spring football game, started in the stands at a high school north of New York City.

Ironically, she complained about a call.

It was late summer in 2011 as Sauer watched a game at a Westchester County high school alongside her husband, Peter. Amanda saw one of the high school players deliver an obvious block in the back, but no flags flew.

Rarely one to bite her tongue, Sauer asked aloud: How could they miss that?

"If you can see that from here," a man sitting near her said, "you should come to our meetings."

The man officiated youth games. Sauer had never officiated football or any sport, and other than the occasional blown call, she never even noticed the officials while watching games. Still, she kept thinking about the offer and thought officiating could be a great way to get involved with her favorite sport.

So that night, Sauer attended her first meeting and went through candidate school in the Westchester County Football Officials Association.

A week later, she worked her first youth game. By the end of the fall, she was working some junior-varsity high school games as an umpire.

Less than six years later, Sauer took the field at Ohio State. She announced three penalty calls to the sold-out crowd of 82,000, and her trial run wearing the referee's white hat suggests bigger, and more historic, opportunities lie ahead.

They can't get here soon enough for Sauer. That's what happens when a dream doubles as a life vest.

The unintentional official

Sauer grew up on a farm in Lower Burrell, Pennsylvania, northeast of Pittsburgh. They had cows, sheep and ... pigskin. She remembers her dad drawing formations on his chest as they played football with her brothers and cousins. Sauer led the basketball, tennis and lacrosse teams in high school, but football occupied her fall Sundays.

Football also connected her to Peter, whom she met in Pittsburgh before both went off to their junior years of college. Peter played basketball at Stanford, captaining the school's Final Four team in 1998, and later had pro stints in Greece and Italy. But like Amanda, he favored football. He once asked for tumbler glasses of every SEC team for Christmas and hoped to see football games at each stadium in the league.

After Sauer's quick introduction to officiating, she didn't take long to immerse herself in the rules, positioning, technique and culture of football officiating. "I was hooked right away," she said. "It completely changed how I watched football."

Even when Sauer wasn't working a game, she often showed up to shadow an official. She attended as many meetings as she could. She started with a cursory knowledge of NFL rules but had to master the rulebook for youth and high school games.

"She had an appetite," said Chuck Piebes, a former Purdue quarterback who worked as an official and became a mentor to Sauer. "She really, really wanted to do this. That came across immediately. She asked all the right questions and she picked things up very quickly, a lot quicker than a lot of our candidates do.

"She was dedicated right from the get-go. She knew what she wanted, and nothing was going to stop her."

Bob Sutherland, who taught officiating candidate school with Piebes, remembers Sauer asking in-depth questions during the course. They began speaking regularly about the mechanics of officiating. When Sutherland critiqued Sauer during games, he came away impressed.

Her ambition stood out immediately.

"She was talking NFL and college," Sutherland said. "She had her dreams and her future. I would just say, 'Slow down here, slow down. We have a ways to go.' I didn't think she wouldn't do it. I just didn't think it would happen so fast.

"She proved me wrong."

Sauer spent only one season officiating in Westchester County, where she and Peter raised their three young daughters.

As the 2012 football season approached, the Sauers prepared to move. After hopscotching the country because of Peter's work -- St. Louis, San Francisco, New York -- they bought a house back in Pittsburgh. He would run a multi-manager investment fund. Amanda would officiate in the storied Western Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic League, which had produced Dan Marino, Joe Namath, Mike Ditka and other stars.

On July 7, Amanda and Peter celebrated their 11th wedding anniversary. The next night, while playing basketball in his regular Sunday league, Peter collapsed and later died. He was just 35.

"The worst moment of my life," Amanda said. "True shock. He had no issues. He was 6-7, 225 pounds, still in shape. ... They still don't know exactly what happened."

Amanda soon moved into the house they had bought, not far from where her parents lived. Barely a month after Peter's death, she was back in stripes, working WPIAL games as an umpire, positioned just behind the linebackers, right in the middle of the action.

"It had been a brutal move. I was in a fog," said Sauer, 40, sitting in a conference room recently at the Big Ten Conference office. "It's corny to say, but I really think it saved my life. It helped me to get direction and focus. That bit of me time allowed me to be a better parent. My kids see me -- I work my tail off, I study a lot of film, I have these meetings.

"It definitely saved me."

Running down a dream

Officiating became much more than a way for Sauer to cope with her grief and her new reality. A successful season in the WPIAL that culminated with a playoff assignment only amplified her ambition.

She wanted to work in college football, but other officials said anyone looking to make the jump needed five to seven years of experience. Piebes said it often takes new officials three or four years just to join a high school crew and work varsity games.

At an officiating event in New York, Sauer met Sarah Thomas, who in 2007 had become the first woman to officiate a major college football game. The two instantly connected.

"The whole day we spent together," Sauer said of Thomas, who in 2015 became the NFL's first female official. "She's my mentor. She's also one of my closest friends."

Thomas, who had gotten her start in Conference USA, knew the league was looking for more female officials. She called Gerald Austin, the league's officiating coordinator, and recommended Sauer. Austin soon invited Sauer to the league's officiating clinic.

He asked about goals.

"She said she wanted to be the white hat, the referee," Austin said. "I said nobody comes in and goes right to the white hat. First, you have to establish yourself in the staff, so that when you become the crew chief, that crew is comfortable.

"But she certainly seemed confident on the field, and any official needs to have confidence."

With referee tabled, Sauer said she wanted to remain an umpire. She made her college officiating debut in 2013, at a Tulane game in the Mercedes-Benz Superdome, a venue she had seen for years on TV. The first series was "a little bit of a blur," but she settled in, calling her first penalty -- actually two fouls -- when a returner signaled for a fair catch and took off running (a no-no), only to be walloped (also a no-no considering it was a dead ball).

Positioned just behind the linebackers, the umpire is officiating's version of the traffic cop. Sauer loved being in the middle of play, "except when you see that tight end coming like a train and they're coming for you," she said. She still has back pain from a hit she took during a game at Florida International.

In 2014, Sauer joined a crew with a complete set of game assignments. But in October, her eldest daughter, Cate, was diagnosed with a rare form of skin cancer. Surgeries and chemotherapy followed, and Amanda realized that Conference USA's travel schedule made it difficult for her to return home quickly to care for Cate, who completed her treatments in January 2016 and is doing well.

Amanda wanted to keep officiating in 2015 but needed a more convenient option. When Bill Carollo, coordinator of the Collegiate Officiating Consortium, which handles Big Ten, Mid-American Conference and Missouri Valley games, called to gauge Sauer's interest, she jumped at the opportunity.

Sauer was nervous for her interview, but when Carollo asked her about goals, she aimed just as high as she had with Austin, adding a twist.

"I said, 'Besides someday getting to the NFL, I want to be your first female referee and do a Michigan-Michigan State game,'" Sauer said. "I just threw that one out. He kind of sat back a little bit and processed what I'd told him."

Life as part of a crew

Sauer's singular pursuit of the white hat would first require her to prove herself on a COC crew, which would work most of the season together, including the all-important conference games.

COC referees draft new members when they have vacancies. Last year Larry Smith needed a center judge, a recently established position that lines up closest to the referee in the offensive backfield.

"I knew she had the ability to work, and I knew she had worked Division I before," said Smith, who leads a Mid-American Conference crew. "I wanted to give her an opportunity."

There were some hiccups early on, as Sauer and other new crew members settled in. As the season went on, Sauer earned more respect for her decision-making and knowledge of the rules during games and video reviews.

Sauer also built bonds with Smith and the other officials. On Friday nights, after dinner and the pregame meeting, they gathered in a hotel room to eat snacks and watch Mountain West games, which they broke down as if they were officiating. When the crew arrived at stadiums, Smith had the male officials immediately change into their uniform pants and undershirts, so Sauer could join them.

"The jokes are flying, everyone is having fun, we would always have music playing," Smith said. "It just felt normal. Everyone is giving everyone crap, which is what you want. It was relaxed. She was in on all of that."

Last season at Western Michigan, the crew's line judge suffered a knee injury late in the first half and could not continue. Although Sauer had never worked at line judge, Smith had her shift over. She went from identifying potential holds with linemen to trying to keep up with Western Michigan star receiver Corey Davis.

"We got in the locker room [at halftime] and everybody's trying to teach me to be downfield and what I should be looking at," she said. "I put all my faith in them telling me, and they kind of did the same."

Sauer's dedication has resonated with the crew. The COC's annual meeting often falls on the anniversary of Peter's death, yet Amanda attends. She worked the Toledo-Northern Illinois game at the White Sox's Guaranteed Rate Field on Nov. 9, which would have been Peter's 40th birthday.

"I couldn't imagine having to do that," Smith said. "That shows the willingness and the sacrifice. You have to sacrifice a lot of things to officiate at this level. She's a very strong person. She's tough, she's very educated, she's very opinionated, but you're not going to meet very many Division I officials who aren't, especially ones who aspire to become crew chiefs and referees."

Destination: White hat

Sauer ended the 2016 season by earning a bowl assignment, the ultimate reward for college officials. In December, she returned to the Superdome, site of her first college game, to work the New Orleans Bowl.

She has spent much of the offseason in the officiating realm. Two weeks ago, she attended a meeting at the Big Ten office for younger officials labeled as potential future referees. Shortly after the Ohio State spring game, she went to New York for another officiating meeting. She also meets regularly with a group of officials in Pittsburgh to review film.

"February, March, we get after it," she said. "We all have ambitions to move up. We're always talking about, 'What game are you going to get? Are you moving up?'"

Sauer is currently trying to learn every officiating role on the field. But she doesn't hide her ultimate goal, the white hat, or shy away from what it would mean.

"Women will be blown away and proud," she said. "Maybe it will encourage some of them to get involved."

Last year, Sauer refereed two nonconference games, and the Ohio State spring game marked another step, and other leadership opportunities could come this fall.

Carollo, a former NFL and college referee, selects every Big Ten, MAC and Missouri Valley referee. Sauer is on his radar, but so are many others. It takes experience, strong evaluations and organization and leadership skills to wear the white hat on Saturdays.

"Does she have the capability? Yes. Is she getting better every year? Yes. Does she fit in and do the right things on and off the field with the crew? Yes," Carollo said. "Now, are you better than the next guy? You've got to be a little bit better than the next guy because people are going to say she got it just because she's a woman. Everybody wants to be on the big stage, Big Ten, SEC, whatever it might be. But everybody's not ready to be there.

"I'm willing to put my reputation on the line to give her an opportunity."

The wait isn't easy for Sauer. "Being a Type A person, you want it now," she said. But officiating already has given her more than she could have imagined when she sat with Peter in the stands all those years ago.

Last year, Sauer brought her daughters -- 12-year-old Cate, 11-year-old Charlotte and 9-year-old Cassie -- to Wisconsin, as she made her officiating debut there. They jumped around between the third and fourth quarters. They also jumped around when their mom took the field.

What would Peter think of her now?

"He would be over-the-moon excited," Amanda said. "Maybe, for once in his life, he would have been quiet. He would have felt like my kids feel, so pumped that his wife, their mom, is doing what she wants to do."

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ACC and AAC announce joint officiating alliance for college football

The alliance includes including scheduling, training, development, recruitment, retention and evaluation.

The Atlantic Coast Conference and American Athletic Conference announced Monday that they will join forces from an officiating standpoint with an alliance that includes scheduling, training, development, recruitment, retention and evaluation of college football officials.

ACC supervisor of officials Dennis Hennigan will serve as the lead administrator for the alliance and handle the assignment, hiring and training of game officials. The AAC will name a point person to serve as the liaison to the conference's head coaches as well as provide evaluation of game officials.

"We are excited to partner with the ACC regarding the administration of our football officiating program," AAC commissioner Mike Aresco said in a statement. "This alliance will provide both conferences with a deep roster of the best college football officials and will provide for greater efficiency and consistency in the training and evaluation of officials as well as enhanced opportunities for the recruitment of officials. We look forward to working with Dennis Hennigan, who was regarded as one of the top on-field officials in college football and has since become a leader on the administrative side. I also want to thank [ACC] commissioner John Swofford for his cooperation in reaching this mutually beneficial arrangement"

So if you see a different set of officials at games involving ACC and AAC teams, now you know why. The new arrangement goes into effect immediately.

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Who Are the Referees In the Ole Miss vs. Penn State Peach Bowl?

Which referee crew will be in charge of the on-field action during the Peach Bowl between Ole Miss and Penn State? They're a crew famous for one specific play.

The Peach Bowl is set to feature two of the most notable programs and head coaching figures in college football. When the Ole Miss Rebels take on the Penn State Nittany Lions, another notable cast of characters will take the field as well.

You may not know it, but the referee crew in charge of the Peach Bowl is part of college football history.

Who Are the Referees In the Peach Bowl?

The referees in charge of the on-field action during the Peach Bowl are the same crew that refereed the notorious “Bush Push” when USC RB Reggie Bush pushed USC QB Matt Leinart over the goalline for a game-winning touchdown over Notre Dame in 2005.

A Pac-12 assigned crew, here are the referee assignments for the 2023 Peach Bowl between Ole Miss and Penn State:

Referee : Mike McCabe
Umpire : Matthew Jordan
Head Line Judge : Darryl Johnson
Line Judge : Matt Dornan
Field Judge : Kevin Kieser
Side Judge : Dion Spenard
Back Judge : Steve Hudson
Center Judge : Ty Druise
Alternate : Matthew Richards
Replay Official : Jim LaBorde
Communicator : Jeffery Yock

The Peach Bowl will feature two of the top 11 teams in the country, per the final College Football Playoff Rankings. Ole Miss of the SEC takes on Penn State from the Big Ten as the latter conference is looking to exact revenge on the SEC after the embarrassing Ohio State performance against Missouri the night prior.

All Big Ten teams had won their previous matchups, including incoming Big Ten teams UCLA and USC, combining to go 3-0 (5-0 if you count USC and UCLA) prior to the Ohio State outing. The SEC, on the other hand, notched their first victory with Missouri’s win, and that even includes incoming member Oklahoma, who fell to Arizona.

Miss any action from the top college QB Rankings during the 2023 football season? Want to track all the movement with the college football’s transfer portal ? College Football Network has you covered with that and more!

How Much Money do College Football Referees Make?

Refereeing college football games is a responsibility that demands precision, integrity, and an in-depth understanding of the sport's rules. Whether officiating Division I (D1), Division II (D2), or Division III (D3) games, referees play a crucial role in ensuring fair play and upholding the integrity of the game. However, the compensation for these officials can vary significantly based on the division, level of experience, and specific game assignments.

Levels of College Football Referees

Division I (D1) Referees

Referees officiating Division I college football games typically receive the highest compensation among all levels of collegiate officiating. D1 referees are responsible for overseeing games in prestigious conferences such as the SEC, ACC, Big Ten, and Pac-12, as well as high-profile bowl games and playoff matchups. Salaries for D1 referees can range from approximately $800 to $2,500 per game, with experienced officials commanding higher fees for postseason and championship games.

Division II (D2) Referees

In Division II college football, referees officiate games in conferences such as the NCAA Division II Football Championship Subdivision (FCS). While D2 referees may not receive the same level of compensation as their D1 counterparts, they can still earn respectable fees for their services. Salaries for D2 referees typically range from around $400 to $800 per game, with variations based on conference affiliations and postseason assignments.

Division III (D3) Referees

Referees officiating Division III college football games oversee matchups in conferences and leagues that prioritize the student-athlete experience over athletic scholarships. While D3 referees may not receive compensation on par with D1 or D2 officials, many are passionate about the game and officiate as a part-time endeavor. Salaries for D3 referees can vary widely, ranging from approximately $200 to $400 per game, depending on the conference and geographic location.

Factors Influencing Referee Salaries

Experience and Tenure

As with most professions, experience and tenure play a significant role in determining referee salaries in college football. Veteran officials with years of experience and a track record of consistent performance may command higher fees for their services, particularly for postseason assignments and championship games.

Level of Competition

The level of competition in college football, as reflected by the division and conference affiliations, can also influence referee salaries. Referees officiating games in Power Five conferences or prestigious bowl games typically receive higher compensation than those overseeing matchups in smaller conferences or lower-tier postseason games.

Geographic Location

The cost of living and demand for referees in specific regions can impact compensation levels. Referees officiating games in major metropolitan areas or regions with a high concentration of college football programs may receive higher salaries to offset living expenses and travel costs.

Type of Game

Postseason games, conference championship matchups, and high-profile rivalry games often offer higher compensation for referees due to increased scrutiny and the importance of the outcomes. These games require experienced officials who can maintain control and enforce the rules under pressure.

Career Path and Advancement

Becoming a college football referee often begins at the youth or high school level, with individuals progressing through the ranks to officiate college games. Advancement to higher divisions and postseason assignments requires dedication, continued training, and a commitment to excellence in officiating.

In summary, the compensation for college football referees varies based on numerous factors, including the division, level of experience, geographic location, and type of game assignment. While referees at the Division I level typically receive the highest compensation, those officiating in Division II and Division III also play important roles in the sport and can earn respectable fees for their services. Regardless of the division, officiating college football requires a passion for the game, a strong understanding of the rules, and the ability to make split-second decisions under pressure.

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Magnus Carlsen vs. Hans Niemann: First Game Since ‘Cheating’ Scandal

To say there is bad blood between Magnus Carlsen and Hans Niemann would be an understatement.

Nearly two years after the two chess grandmasters played their infamous over-the-board game in St. Louis, the two men will meet in Paris next month in the 2024 Chess.com Speed Chess Championship semifinals.

Niemann, a 21-year-old American, advanced to the semifinals with a convincing win against GM Wesley So on Wednesday. Carlsen faced GM Arjun Erigaisi on Thursday in his effort to make the semifinals. The 33-year-old Norwegian, widely regarded as the best chess player in history, was a -1400 betting odds favorite at Bwin Sportsbook to defeat Erigaisi.

A Carlsen-Niemann matchup in blitz chess marks their first face-to-face meeting since Carlsen accused Niemann of cheating . Following a stunning loss with the white pieces to the much lower-rated Niemann in September 2022, Carlsen withdrew from the Sinquefield Cup classical chess tournament after just three rounds.

The scandal grabbed international headlines.

It was the first time Carlsen, the megastar of the chess world, had publicly accused an opponent of cheating over the board.

Niemann, who had admitted to cheating while playing online in the past, denied Carlsen’s allegations. A defamation lawsuit from Niemann followed, with the parties involved settling in 2023 . Financial terms were not disclosed, but Niemann was reinstated by Chess.com, which had published a report alleging that Niemann had cheated online more than he had admitted.

The report also called Niemann’s over-the-board progress suspicious.

There isn’t evidence that Niemann has cheated in over-the-board games, with Carlsen later admitting that he had nothing to back up his allegation. The St. Louis Chess Club, which hosted the tournament, found no evidence of Niemann using outside help to cheat.

Carlsen never rescinded or backtracked from his cheating allegation against Niemann. His social media post accusing Niemann of suspicious play remains on X (formerly Twitter).

Niemann was again accused of cheating by other chess players in a 2023 event in Croatia.

Niemann struggled to climb the chess rankings after defeating Carlsen. However, he has excelled in 2024, reaching his highest ever classical chess rating , making him a top-30 player in the world. By comparison, Carlsen has been the highest-rated player for over a decade, winning multiple world chess championships.

“What I experienced was hell, absolute hell […] I was branded as a cheater in the news—anal beads, all of it, I go outside and live with this insane label that I didn’t do,” Niemann said in a fiery interview after defeating Wesley So on Aug. 7.

Despite Niemann calling Chess.com “evil” and “corrupt,” Chess.com promoted the interview on its YouTube channel. The video had received over 70,000 views within about 12 hours.

Niemann also attacked Carlsen. “I think [Carlsen’s] a sick, deluded person who wanted to destroy my life, and he did this out of pure vendetta,” Niemann said.

“I am very motivated to settle things” in Paris, Niemann added.

The two grandmasters meet in blitz chess, where Carlsen is currently his most dominant. Niemann is a +320 betting underdog to defeat Carlsen (-500).

The Speed Chess Championship is Chess.com’s flagship event, with many of the strongest blitz players in the world competing in the $175,000 16-player single-elimination bracket. Heading into the semifinals, Carlsen was a -200 favorite to win the event.

There had been a chance for a meeting between Carlsen and Niemann before the Speed Chess Championship. This month in Astana, Kazakhstan, they both participated in a team event held by FIDE. Carlsen’s team squared off against Niemann’s, but Carlsen decided to sit out the games where he would have played Niemann.

“They could’ve faced each other in Astana, both in the rapid and the blitz,” said Tarjei Joten Svensen, lead journalist at Chess.com. “Not sure I’d say that Carlsen ‘refused’ [to play Niemann], but he decided to pass on both occasions. The meetings with Niemann’s team weren’t the only rounds he sat out. As far as I can see, Carlsen missed four games in the blitz and three in the rapid, meaning he sat out on five other occasions. This is normal in team competitions where you have replacements.”

According to Svensen, Carlsen won’t avoid Niemann in the Speed Chess Championship semifinals scheduled for Sept. 6. Carlsen “knows he is by far the best player, especially in this format,” Svensen said.

All eyes in the chess world will be on Carlsen-Niemann in Paris. It’s extremely rare for chess players not to shake hands before sitting down and playing a game, but this might be one of those occasions.

Image credit: Grand Chess Tour

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U.s. chess star hans niemann regains elite rating, magnus carlsen: ‘i feel bad’ for world chess champion having a meltdown, magnus carlsen returns to face rising star gukesh in speed chess, fide candidates chess: ‘what a drama’ as four players alive in final round, candidates chess: here’s where to bet with draftkings, magnus carlsen has 50% chance to win rapid chess championship, per sportsbook.

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2023-24 bowl games National Championship Game

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Officiating crews for the 2023 college football conference championship games

Officiating crews assigned by the college conferences for their championship games.

Football Zebras has obtained the crew assignments for the 2023 college football conference championships. Assignments are handled by each conference. Depending on the procedures for each conference, crews are may eligible for bowl games.

Friday, Dec. 1

Conference USA Championship

New mexico state vs. liberty.

Williams Stadium, Lynchburg, Va. | 7 p.m. CBSSN

R	Ron Hudson
U	Jeremy Epps
H	Walter Sloan
L	Jake Osgood
F	Kirk Wisnewski
S	Jermaine Livingstone
B	Dannye Fowler
C	Jeff Guadagno
Alternate	Rory Bernard
Replay	Mike Sams
Communicator	Adam Choate

Pac-12 Conference Championship

Oregon vs. washington.

Allegiant Stadium, Las Vegas | 8 p.m. ABC ESPN+

R	Mike McCabe
U	Gregory Adams
H	Kirk Mattison
L	Matt Dornan
F	Steve Currie
S	Gary Reed
B	Corey Luxner
C	Ty Druse
Alternate	Matthew Jordan (U), John Fallman (LOS), Dion Spenard (deep)
Replay	Brian Brown
Communicator	Monty Montgomery

Saturday, Dec. 2

Big 12 Conference Championship

Oklahoma state vs. texas.

AT&T Stadium, Arlington, Texas | Noon ABC ESPN+

R	Derek Anderson
U	Michael Henderson
H	Andy Warner
L	Kelly Deterding
F	Scott Gaines
S	Fulton Carson
B	Daniel Young
C	Marvel July
Alternate	Michael Vandervelde, David Alvarez
Replay	Richard Brown
Communicator	Alex Vaughn

MAC Championship

Miami (ohio) vs. toledo.

Ford Field, Detroit | Noon ESPN ESPN+

R	David Siegle
U	Christopher Williams III
H	Kevin Moss
L	Nicholas Brigati
F	Jim Wojcikiewicz
S	Jeff Pasold
B	Josh Dascher
C	Chris La Mange
Alternate	Billy D. Williams, John Swartz
Replay	Scott Aronowitz
Communicator	Gerry Bram

Mountain West Conference Championship

Boise state vs. unlv.

Allegiant Stadium, Las Vegas | 3 p.m. Fox

R	Jonathan Noli
U	Rod Tucker
H	Rob Marks
L	Jack Kuntz
F	Terrell Turner
S	Josh Aragon
B	Gregory Rattler Jr.
C	Chris Booker
Replay	Bill Stimmel
Communicator	Rod McLain

Sun Belt Conference Championship

Appalachian state vs. troy.

Veterans Memorial Stadium, Troy, Ala. | 4 p.m. ESPN ESPN+

R	Wayne Winkler
U	Jason Yates
H	Seth Bussey
L	Jason Vinson
F	Clay Brownlee
S	Andrew Bolognese
B	Eric Apolenis
C	Greg LeFils Jr.
Alternate	Trennis Livingston

SEC Championship

Georgia vs. alabama.

Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta | 4 p.m. CBS Paramount+

R	Kyle Olson
U	Russ Pulley
H	Nicholas Theriot
L	Michael Taylor
F	Antonio Smith
S	Glen Fucik
B	Keith Parham
C	Chris Garner
Alternate	Scott Walker, Randall Kizer

American Athletic Conference Championship

Southern methodist vs. tulane.

Yulman Stadium, New Orleans | 4 p.m. ABC ESPN+

R	Luke Richmond
U	Brandon Wood
H	Tracy Lynch
L	Tracy Jones
F	James Reif
S	Matt Waldron
B	Chris Bikowski
C	Patrick Oldham
Alternate	Edwin Lee
Replay	Rick Jackson
Communicator	Randy Roseberry

SWAC Championship

Prairie view a&m vs. florida a&m.

Bragg Memorial Stadium, Talahassee, Fla. | 4 p.m. ESPN2 ESPN+

R	Bobby Wright
U	James Rogers
H	Jessie Harris
L	Derek Smith
F	Shev Pinchback
S	Christopher Brown
B	Derek Spears
C	Brandon Bullock
Alternate	Thaddeus Azore, Martin Morgan
Replay	Ryan Parris
Communicator	Roderick Holloway

ACC Championship

Louisville vs. florida state.

Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte, N.C. | 8 p.m. ABC ESPN+

R	Michael Roche
U	William Thomas
H	Brian Perry
L	John Hoffmann
F	Kip Johnson
S	Jamal Shears
B	Michael Griffith
C	Larry Hayes
Alternate	Stuart Mullins, Harry Tyson
Replay	Mark McAnaney
Communicator	Jeff Roberson

Big Ten Conference Championship

Iowa vs. michigan.

Lucas Oil Stadium, Indianapolis | 8 p.m. Fox

R	Jeffrey Servinski
U	Tim Gover
H	Rod Ammari
L	John Wiercinski
F	Phil Hicks
S	John Hayes
B	Justin Staehr
C	Jason Nickleby
Alternate	Marcus Allen, Tim O’Dey
Replay	Nick Baniel
Communicator	Ron Tipton

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Ben Austro is the editor and founder of Football Zebras and the author of So You Think You Know Football?: The Armchair Ref's Guide to the Official Rules ( on sale now )

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Bill Vinovich’s first game on CBS was playing D-III football during the 1982 NFL strike

Rules review video: Touching the pylon, ball carrier down, and targeting with the lights out

Rules review video: Unconventional handoffs, unnecessary roughness, and roughing the passer

Rules review video: Scrimmage kick advancement, targeting, and blocking below the waist

Rules School: Officiating mechanics at the end of the half

Rules review video: Kick catch interference, invalid fair catch signal, and penalty enforcements

Rules review video: Roughing the kicker, forced touching, and kick catch interference

Rules review video: Targeting, replay tools, and an experiment with the kickoff line

Rules review video: Illegal forward pass, illegal touching, and simulated kneeldowns

Rules review video: Defensive pass interference, coaches on the field, and defense re-establishing in bounds

Rules review video: Safeties, replay calling penalties, and kicks over the uprights

‘Exceptional situational awareness’ highlights the Call of the Week

Rules review video: Intentional grounding, targeting, and horse-collar tackles

COMMENTS

2023-24 bowl officiating assignments
December 3, 2023. By. Ben Austro. Football Zebras is obtaining the officiating assignments to the 2023-24 bowl games and reporting them here. Bowls are distributed to the conferences in a manner than an officiating crew is not from one of the participating team's conferences. The Power 5 conferences work at least 5 bowls each (including all ...
2022-23 bowl officiating assignments
Football Zebras is obtaining the officiating assignments to the 2022-23 bowl games and reporting them here.. Bowls are distributed to the conferences in a manner than an officiating crew is not from one of the team's conferences. The Power 5 conferences work at least 5 bowls each (including all the New Year's Six and the National Championship) with 2 conferences getting a sixth bowl ...
2021-22 bowl officiating assignments
December 6, 2021. By. Football Zebras staff. Football Zebras is obtaining the officiating assignments to the 2021-22 bowl games and reporting them here. Bowls are distributed to the conferences in a manner than an officiating crew is not from one of the team's conferences, to the extent that is possible. For the tables listed below, all times ...
PDF 2021-22 bowl ofﬁciating assignments
Zebras is obtaining the officiating assignments to the 2021-22 bowl games and reporting them here. Bowls are distributed to the conferences in a manner than ... Playoff games Friday, Dec. 31 Cotton Bowl Classic (College Football Playoff semiﬁnal) 1Alabama vs. 4Cincinnati Location AT&T Stadium, Arlington, Texas Time/network 3:30 p.m. ...
PDF 2022-23 bowl officiating assignments
Football Zebras is obtaining the officiating assignments to the 2022-23 bowl games and reporting them here. Bowls are distributed to the conferences in a manner than an officiating crew is not from one of the team's conferences. The Power 5 conferences work at least 5 bowls each (including all the New Year's Six and the National ...
Which conference refs will be officiating the College Football Playoff
The College Football Playoff has determined the assignments for the officials that will determine the national championship. The names of those officials won't be revealed until game day, but now ...
PDF 2022-23 NCAA Playing Rules and Officiating Assignments
Women's Basketball Cross Country/Track and Field Women's Volleyball. May 3-5, 2023 June 21-22, 2023 Jan. 4-6, 2023. Rachel Seewald Rachel Seewald Rachel Seewald. Yes No No. Feb. 1 May 1 Oct. 21. March 20 April 17 Nov. 7. Men's Basketball Men's Lacrosse Bowling**. Sport/Committee Fencing Field Hockey* Golf Men's Gymnastics Women's ...
All-access with a MAC officiating crew: Inside college football's most
But Tim O'Dey was the head referee of Crew 6, and this was Crew 6's last game together. ... were fewer than 75 officiating crews assigned to work Football Bowl Subdivision games. The seven on ...
College Football Playoff referees: Officiating crews for Fiesta Bowl
Here were the assignments set out for the referees in Arizona. Head Referee: Jason Autrey. Umpire: Brent Sowell. Head Lines: Nicholas Theriot. Line Judge: Michael Taylor. Field Judge: Daniel ...
SEC Football Officiating Evaluation and Accountability
On Accountability: All SEC officials are held accountable for their overall body of their work and the work of their crew, which is reviewed on a weekly and annual basis. Every call by each official during every game is analyzed by a team of experienced position evaluators. These evaluations take place both in-game and through post-game video ...
Assignments
2023 Rose Bowl Game playoff semifinal. 2023 Fiesta Bowl. 2023 Orange Bowl. ... Referee assignments for preseason week 1. At least one official is getting a tryout at the referee position. Assignments. ... College Football 9 months ago. Rules review video: Unconventional handoffs, unnecessary roughness, and roughing the passer ...
Bowl Game Assignments
Post by GAC White Hat on Dec 9, 2014 13:00:52 GMT -5Dec 9, 2014 13:00:52 GMT -5
2021-22 Bowl Officiating Assignments
It was actually a reference to our Sugar Bowl game against Michigan from 10 seasons ago. PAC-12 refs officiated that one too, and controversially overturned a Hokie TD in overtime. We would then miss a FG, and Michigan would make one for the walk-off.
The rapid, remarkable rise of college football official Amanda Sauer
Amanda Sauer's path to midfield at Ohio Stadium, wearing the white hat as referee of Ohio State's spring football game, started in the stands at a high school north of New York City. It was late ...
NCAA/College
Discuss NCAA officiating here.
ACC and AAC announce joint officiating alliance for college football
Mar 19, 2018 at 4:10 pm ET • 1 min read. The Atlantic Coast Conference and American Athletic Conference announced Monday that they will join forces from an officiating standpoint with an ...
2022-23 bowl officiating assignments
CFP. Peach Bowl - Georgia vs Ohio State - Pac-12. Fiesta Bowl - Michigan vs TCU - SEC. National Championship - TBD - ACC. NY6. Rose Bowl - Penn State vs Utah - Big 12. Sugar Bowl - Kansas State vs Alabama - Big Ten.
Referee assignments for preseason week 1
2023 Rose Bowl Game playoff semifinal. 2023 Fiesta Bowl. 2023 Orange Bowl. ... Referee assignments for preseason week 1. At least one official is getting a tryout at the referee position. Tweet; Pocket. ... College Football 9 months ago. Rules review video: Unconventional handoffs, unnecessary roughness, and roughing the passer ...
Who Are the Referees In the Ole Miss vs. Penn State Peach Bowl?
A Pac-12 assigned crew, here are the referee assignments for the 2023 Peach Bowl between Ole Miss and Penn State: Referee: Mike McCabe. Umpire: Matthew Jordan. Head Line Judge: Darryl Johnson. Line Judge: Matt Dornan. Field Judge: Kevin Kieser. Side Judge: Dion Spenard.
How Much Money do College Football Referees Make?
Salaries for D2 referees typically range from around $400 to $800 per game, with variations based on conference affiliations and postseason assignments. Division III (D3) Referees. Referees officiating Division III college football games oversee matchups in conferences and leagues that prioritize the student-athlete experience over athletic ...
Big 12 College Football Team Preview 2024: UCF Knights
UCF's head coach Gus Malzahn looks at a referee during the Big 12 football game against Texas Tech, Saturday, Nov. 18, 2023, at Jones AT&T Stadium. | Annie Rice/Avalanche-Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK
2020-21 bowl officiating assignments
indicates officials that are currently in the NFL development pool, either by appearing on the preseason development roster or by working a college all-star game since 2018. worked a New Year's 6 bowl game or the National Championship in 2019-20. worked in the Alliance of American Football (2019) and/or the XFL (2020).
Magnus Carlsen vs. Hans Niemann: First Game Since 'Cheating ...
NFL Schedule College Football Championship Betting Odds College Football Bowl ... Best Fantasy Football Sites For Super Bowl ... Thunder Nikola Jovic MVP 2024 All-NBA Teams NBA Referee Assignments
Officiating crews for the 2022 college football conference championship
on. December 1, 2022. By. Ben Austro. Football Zebras has obtained most of the crew assignments for the 2022 college football conference championships. Assignments are handled by each conference. Depending on the procedures for each conference, crews are may eligible for bowl games. All times listed are Eastern. This post will be updated as we ...
Officiating crews for the 2023 college football conference championship
Officiating crews assigned by the college conferences for their championship games. Football Zebras has obtained the crew assignments for the 2023 college football conference championships. Assignments are handled by each conference. Depending on the procedures for each conference, crews are may eligible for bowl games.