2021 - NCAA Tournament Referees
 

The list is out:

Adams, J Anderson, S Anderson, Armstrong, Ayers
Boroski, Breeding, Brill
Carr, Carstensen, Cassell, Chiazza, J Clark, Clouugherty, Covington, B Cruz
Daily, Desai, Dorsey, Driscoll, Ek, Eppley
Gaffney, C Green, T Greene, Greenstein, Groover
B Hampton, V Harris, Hartness, T Henderson, Higgins
Irving, Jarrett, Kimble, Kissinger, Lindsay
McCall, McNutt, Natili, Nixon, Oglesby, O'Connell
Padilla, Pettigrew, Pfeiffer, Pollard
Rastatter, Reed, Riley
Scirotto, Shows, Simpson, Sirmons, B Smith, Stephens, Szelc
Valentine, Walton, Wymer

Notables Missing: J Luckie, D Hall, E Curry, R Crawford, S McJunkins

You forgot D Sirmons. Interesting.

Any noteworthy newcomers on the list?


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Thanks for that correction; how could I ever forget a FF official like Sirmons? :D

There were no "newcomers" that I noticed. It'll be interesting how they deal with their quarantine in their hotel for the tournament; no family, no visiting other officials in their room; no social gatherings.

Do you have a source for this list?

That is only 58 names. Normally, there are 96 because there are 32 first round games. Is the NCAA doing something different this year due to Covid and the entire tourney being conducted in Indiana? Will guys be working more than one first round contest?

I know something came out earlier in the season saying there would be 50 officials selected. Guess they bumped it up to 58. I no longer have access to the site since I didn't register this past season.

I could absolutely see them saying that nearly everybody is working three games in the first week. (4+32+16)*3 = 156 officials. If they had 52, that gives everybody 3 games. Having 6 extra gives them some leeway if somebody tests positive or can't work due to injury, etc.

Without having to travel more than a small distance, it makes sense to use fewer officials. They can easily make their games and that lets them have fewer people in the "bubble" to track and manage. Not that it makes much difference to them at that level, they have to have fewer hotel rooms....are they really pinching pennies?? (doubt that is the reason).

This is not a normal year. So there has not been the same number of games or officials working those games across the country this season. A lot of guys have worked only one conference for the most part and have been working more games in a year. The B1G for example paid some officials a salary (if accepted) and did not pay them per game for this year so they could work all over the B1G and be available for just their conference. Some officials did not take that contract because they felt they could make more money working multiple conferences. That is why you would see some officials work a lot of lower-level conferences in TV situations. So I think this process is to eliminate the possibility for transmission and fill one where needed. Also more officials would have more possibility for problems. The goal is to simply get this tournament in this year.

Peace

No Mike Roberts ???

Not that I know of. Keep in mind that a small number of normal tournament officials were selected as "alternates" (L Spaulding, T Nuñez that I know of). They will be at the quarantined hotel ready to work in case an official becomes infected with Covid.

Here's what was released on Arbiter back at the beginning of February.

"
NCAA Tournament comments:
1. 60 selected officials & 15 alternate officials will be notified the week of 3/1/21.
2. Selected officials will need to provide seven-consecutive days of negative tests prior to arrival in Indianapolis. Conferences will test officials as part of their conference tournaments.
The NCAA is working with conference offices on who will be responsible for the testing process for selected officials on non-tournament days.
3. Once officials complete respective conference tournaments, they will need to fly to Indianapolis to start quarantine as early as Saturday, March 13.
4. We will be utilizing six remote evaluators for the First Four, 1st round and 2nd round games. Those six evaluators will be notified this week.
5. At the completion of the NCAA Tournament starting on 4/15/21, I will make myself available to officials not selected to provide feedback."

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There are already 2 officials who are out due to Covid or injury. The pool of officials will be changing as the tournament approaches.

https://twitter.com/GoodmanHoops/sta...419127296?s=19

Teddy Valentine, John Higgins, Roger Ayers, John Gaffney, Kipp Kissinger and Ray Natili are out.

Oops.