Why Aren't You On TV?

[Camron Rust]

Originally Posted by SD Referee

Ok, I'll take the bait.

My guess and/or opinion is that most guys don't have the time and money to go to camp after camp after camp and kiss butt to get on the circuit.

I have the opinion that a number of guys on this website could work NCAA games if they haven't already. I've worked with guys that do lower level college stuff and I believe they could do just as good of a job without the theatrics and "look at me" mechanics of the guys on TV.

While it does indeed take some sort of talent, working NCAA games isn't purely about being a great official. It's about spending absurd amounts of time and money at camps so that you can kiss up and become part of the club. That's how you get in. Even at lower level college games that's what it takes.

It's not that the guys on TV are so great. They miss calls too. Nobody is perfect at officiating.

For that matter, I know some that work small college that just are not very good, yet, they're there. Why? No one knows. Perhaps they spent the most on the assignors camp. I wasn't going to play that game. I was there but I wasn't going to pay the assignor to go to his camp every year for what amounted to about half of the game fees for a year and take 3-4 days off work to do it. I didn't go to it two years in a row and was dropped. He had a LOT of officials on his roster so he could give everyone just a few games and expected them all to come to camp...a pretty good racket if you ask me.