[JRutledge]

I was at a camp where travel was addressed and it is tough for those to be that far away from home with kids and job and other obligations. If it is a struggle already for officials on that level, it is going really hard when you are going away and likely working less games to make that one trip. At least if someone goes to Kansas or Texas, they can work a couple of other games close by and make more money. And whether we like it or not, a lot of this is money related. Of course someone like me that has never worked a D1 game in my life would go out west in a second even if that was my only game for that week. But for a guy you see on TV 4 nights out of the week, that might be a little much. And I live in Chicago where I can catch a single plane to just about anywhere in the world because O'Hare Airport is a hub of the country. I am sure that is not the case in smaller areas or even in other parts of the state I live where to get to O'Hare might take you well over an hour to fly in that direction.

I just think the people out west need to develop their officials better and work with those in the smaller conferences more as it seems is the case or the expectations at least here in this part of the country. But then again this gripe is from coaches, so I think we need to consider that fact too.

Peace