Can an NCAA Basketball Official Work Both Sexes?

[ilyazhito]

What is the better pipeline to the NBA for officials, men's or women's basketball? AFAIK, many women work women's basketball, and get into the WNBA that way (they later get picked up to the G-League because of their experience in the WNBA). This may be because not many assigners of men's basketball see women as capable of working high level men's games, so women's basketball might be their only option until they reach the professional level. Is women's basketball a reliable way for a male official to get to the NBA, or should I focus on men's basketball instead?

[SC Official]

Originally Posted by ilyazhito

What is the better pipeline to the NBA for officials, men's or women's basketball? AFAIK, many women work women's basketball, and get into the WNBA that way (they later get picked up to the G-League because of their experience in the WNBA). This may be because not many assigners of men's basketball see women as capable of working high level men's games, so women's basketball might be their only option until they reach the professional level. Is women's basketball a reliable way for a male official to get to the NBA, or should I focus on men's basketball instead?

The reasons women don't work men's college are...

1) They're unlikely to get hired (just the way it is), and
2) Females with potential move up the ladder very quickly in women's basketball. Much more quickly than a male with the same or even more talent. Why would a woman with a lot of promise try and go the men's route when the prospect of having a full college schedule in 5-10 years is very realistic on the women's side and impossible on the men's side?

I'd imagine if you have aspirations of making it to the NBA as a male, then you need to work men's college, but I really don't know.

[Raymond]

Originally Posted by ilyazhito

What is the better pipeline to the NBA for officials, men's or women's basketball? AFAIK, many women work women's basketball, and get into the WNBA that way (they later get picked up to the G-League because of their experience in the WNBA). This may be because not many assigners of men's basketball see women as capable of working high level men's games, so women's basketball might be their only option until they reach the professional level. Is women's basketball a reliable way for a male official to get to the NBA, or should I focus on men's basketball instead?

The best route to the NBA is through their grassroots program. That's where you will get identified. Where you work outside of that doesn't matter. The NBA is changing up the way they accumulate talent. Used to be a time where the Big South and SEC men's staffs were pipelines. Those days are over.

[IncorrectCall]

Originally Posted by ilyazhito

What is the better pipeline to the NBA for officials, men's or women's basketball? AFAIK, many women work women's basketball, and get into the WNBA that way (they later get picked up to the G-League because of their experience in the WNBA). This may be because not many assigners of men's basketball see women as capable of working high level men's games, so women's basketball might be their only option until they reach the professional level. Is women's basketball a reliable way for a male official to get to the NBA, or should I focus on men's basketball instead?

To echo what Raymond said - in the current system, you will never go to the NBA unless you have been identified by one of the 4-5 scouts (JB, Al, Sampson, etc.).
Also, G-League comes before WNBA - not the other way around.

[Raymond]

Originally Posted by ilyazhito

What is the better pipeline to the NBA for officials, men's or women's basketball? AFAIK, many women work women's basketball, and get into the WNBA that way (they later get picked up to the G-League because of their experience in the WNBA). This may be because not many assigners of men's basketball see women as capable of working high level men's games, so women's basketball might be their only option until they reach the professional level. Is women's basketball a reliable way for a male official to get to the NBA, or should I focus on men's basketball instead?

You should have access to Al Batista, being you are in Maryland. He can definitively answer a lot of the questions you are asking here.

[ilyazhito]

I'll definitely ask Al. I also made the OP for the benefit of other officials in the same boat (either HS looking to transition to college, or officials looking for good information on long-term career perspectives) who may not have much information about what gender they want to work, and if that choice matters.

[Raymond]

Originally Posted by ilyazhito

I'll definitely ask Al. I also made the OP for the benefit of other officials in the same boat (either HS looking to transition to college, or officials looking for good information on long-term career perspectives) who may not have much information about what gender they want to work, and if that choice matters.

It's an individual decision based on individual factors. If there are folks here looking for that information they have asked in the past. You're not breaking any new ground here.

If you're looking to get better you need more conversations about what you're actually doing on the court and less conversations about speculation and Rule changes that you would like to see.

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[JRutledge]

The reality too is that this choice might be made for you on some level. If you get hired by one first, then you might not get the same opportunity at the other. You have to get hired by someone, not you choose where you are going to work.

Peace

[BillyMac]

Originally Posted by JRutledge

The reality too is that this choice might be made for you on some level. If you get hired by one first, then you might not get the same opportunity at the other. You have to get hired by someone, not you choose where you are going to work.

College basketball assigning is way outside my wheelhouse, but ...

Didn't JRutledge get hired for women's games first and the make the switch to men's games?

I'm not saying that it appears to be easy, or that it's going to happen for many, but it is theoretically within the realm of possibility? Right? And it's not that some should bet their house on it? Right?

[ilyazhito]

JRut, is the application process to CBOA on the East Coast, or to whatever the women's equivalent is, just a formality? If I apply to both men's and women's conference staffs, go to both sets of camps, and somehow get hired by both staffs, I can't work both?

AFAIK, Tim Ebersol assigns both men's and women's basketball for the Capital Athletic Conference, so would he react negatively if I showed interest in doing both? Would the men's assigners look askance at me if they know that I went to women's camps, and vice versa?

[crosscountry55]

Originally Posted by ilyazhito

JRut, is the application process to CBOA on the East Coast, or to whatever the women's equivalent is, just a formality? If I apply to both men's and women's conference staffs, go to both sets of camps, and somehow get hired by both staffs, I can't work both?

AFAIK, Tim Ebersol assigns both men's and women's basketball for the Capital Athletic Conference, so would he react negatively if I showed interest in doing both? Would the men's assigners look askance at me if they know that I went to women's camps, and vice versa?

Tim assigns both sides of CAC now? If true, that’s new. ‘Twas not the case when I went to their tryout camp at York back in 2014.

When I went to that camp, we had to declare what side we were trying out for. Once you did, the evaluators on the other side simply stopped paying attention to you.

Al Batista introduced himself to me at that camp. It didn’t end up amounting to anything because I don’t have the life space to commit to pursuing a G-League pipe dream. But the attention was flattering!


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[IncorrectCall]

Originally Posted by ilyazhito

JRut, is the application process to CBOA on the East Coast, or to whatever the women's equivalent is, just a formality? If I apply to both men's and women's conference staffs, go to both sets of camps, and somehow get hired by both staffs, I can't work both?

AFAIK, Tim Ebersol assigns both men's and women's basketball for the Capital Athletic Conference, so would he react negatively if I showed interest in doing both? Would the men's assigners look askance at me if they know that I went to women's camps, and vice versa?

You have to "pick" which side you are going to do by "picking" which camps you are going to go to. You don't go to both.

Also, if you "pick" men's side and can't cut it (after 3, 4, 5 years of camping), the stigma out there is that men try to make the switch because they think it will be "easier to move up". So, something to keep in mind.