Making D1 in the Modern Age

[Mark T. DeNucci, Sr.]

Originally Posted by Player989random

Hello Board,

So I'm a young guy on the East Coast. Early 20's. Made a D3 and JUCO staff, did some games, yada yada, and have the desire to one day work D1. Don't really care what if it's ACC Primetime or the Big Sky, but I do have some questions:

Is it worth paying for a D1 camp ($500+) if I know no one at the camp?
Should I wait another year before shelling out the big bucks?
With all the consortiums, what is the path to D1 nowadays?

Yeah all the questions are really just different aspects of "Do I do it?", but I am curious as to how others perceive the current challenge of getting to the big stage. I talk to the older cats and hear how on this side of the country a lot of D1's are folding into the Kersey umbrella. Most people jokingly suggest I move to the West Coast as they hear it's easier to get D1. That's why I'm considering a Curtis Shaw camp even though I know no one west of VA.

I officiated women's college basketball from 1974 to 2008, so I started officiating college basketball before the days of camps. And today, if one wants to become a college (men's or women's) it requires going to camp every year until one is either picked up or released. That means that since you are now working at the NCAA Div. III, NAIA, and NJCAA level you will have to go to camp every year even if it is just your assigner's camp just to stay on his staff.

Mark, Jr., who umpires both H.S. baseball and softball went to a weekend softball mechanics clinic in Fall 2014, just to improve his softball mechanics. The person who has the clinic assigns softball for four conferences (one each: NJCAA, NAIA, NCAA-III, and NCAA-II). Guess what, MTD, Jr., has been attending his Fall clinic every year since then. This past Fall clinic, a supervisor of softball umpires for four NCAA Div. I conferences was a clinician at the camp and added him to his staff on all four conferences. That means that Mark will be attending two camp/clinics every year from now on to stay at those levels. That is just the nature of college officiating and umpiring today. Be prepared to spend your time and money to achieve your goal.

I am not sure about the other Power 5 Conferences but you are a Div. I men's official below the Power 5 Conference lever, that to make the Big 10 Men's Staff, you must be invited to the Big 10 camp to try out. I know that Big 10 process is tough because: a) because one of the Big 10 Men's on-site evaluaters was my closet mentor; b) I am a friends with two current members of the Big 10 Men's Staff; and c) one of those two started his basketball officiating career by graduating from the mandatory OhioHSAA class which I taught.

Also there is a member of this Forum who is a proud father of two officials that officiate at the Div. I level and in the G-League and can elaborate more on the path that his sons have taken; and I am sure that there are some active Div. I officials in the Forum that would probably answer, via PM, any questions that you may have.

MTD, Sr.