[CelticNHBlue]

To expand a little on what Mike has mentioned, it is often who you work with outside the NCAA that gets you into an organized college board. Here in New England, that is typically by invitation. For example, a board member who works ASA or HS with you will recommend you for college ball. From there, the D-III board will invite you to a fall evaluation tournament and typically give you a schedule the following spring where you will work with the boards better officials who will mentor you to help you improve your game. Beyond this level, it is a much more competitive field, especially here, where there are very few quality D-I assignments close to home. The D-II and D-I boards cap their membership levels because there are far more umpires than games and this forces people to stay on top of their game. These boards also host evaluation camps with NUS evaluators for national exposure for post-season assignments. Beyond the local associations, the NCAA and NFCA host in the neighborhood of 6-8 evaluations tournaments (such as the Leadoff Classic) each year where they invite national umpires that they specifically want to evaluate with potential post season assignments in mind.

I agree that it would be nice to have a national mechanics school at the NCAA D-I level where officials could pay to learn the finest points to officiating with NCAA mechanics. As mentioned, it is by invitation only at this point, but as the NUIP is still in its early stages, this may be in their future plans. For now, your best bet is to talk to your ASA and HS assigners who they know that works D-I and do all you can to work with these people whenever possible and look, listen, and learn. From my experience, the vast majority of these umpires will help you improve your game and invite you into the upper levels when you game is ready. These guys and gals not selfish and get just as much out of mentoring umpires that want to be the best as they get out of learning and being the best they can be.