I believe it was Lute Olsen the other day wanting the officials to be NCAA officials, rather than work for specific conferences. He maintains the type of game called would be more consistent nationally, rather than regionally. I think the merging of the "National League" umpires and the "American League" umpires, has made MLB a little more consistent. Is this a valid proposal??

I think that would be a huge undertaking.

Look at it in terms of high school officiating. You're talking about the state asociation assigning all games, doing all training and local association supervisors not having any input. I think that's a HUGE task.

In SC, the state assigns all games but it's still left to the local association to conduct training. As long as you have any local involvement, you're going to have differences in philosophy. Hell, we have it within our own local association, where we have outlying clinics in football and basketball.

Travel would be the main problem as I see it.

MLB umpires are pros. They make a living at it.

College basketball officials don't for the most part.
You would be asking guys to fly all the way across the country quite frequently, and many people couldn't do that because of their regular jobs. I think people who are pros need to stay closer to their area.

Roy Williams
 

Roy Williams has stated something similar. He thinks officials should only be able to work in 2 conferences and not more than 2 times a week.

That's probably the general premis now except that you work specifically for a conference and when in that conference, you do as that assignor says.

Re: Roy Williams
 

I think Roy Williams should only be able to coach 2 practices and 1 game per week. That way he'll be fresher for his game and have more time to study rules. This will help all coaches be more level headed towards the officials.

I don' think travel is an issue. These guys travel all the time now.

As for the number of games in a week, I think two is a little too restrictive. A more reasonable solution would be for them not to work on consecutive days. A coach may THINK he wants officials only working two days a week but he'd better realize that new, less experienced offiicals are going to have to move up to D1 to work all those games that are left. Most of these guys work 4-6 games a week. So you're looking at increasing the staff 50-75%.

But I agree that they work too many games in a week. I don't see how a 55 year old official work 6 out of 7 days a week, especially with all the travel that's involved.

Re: Re: Roy Williams
 

Realize that's said tongue in cheek but you're comparing apples to oranges and you know it. ;)

Chris you took the words right out of my mouth. Good Ole Roy should only get to play & practice twice a week.

Re: Re: Re: Roy Williams
 

I think both Roy's comments and mine are equally foolish. If he'll retract his, then I'll retract mine.
Of course I know it's apples to oranges but he needs to leave the governing of officials to someone else.

Good Idea
 

Wait a second - I don't know how many of us work college ball in here but this proposal(I know it is a coach's proposal and not a formal consideration yet) would give all of us a chance to move up quicker. I know that if and when I get a chance to do something other than DII, DIII and JUCO I am going to jump at the chance.
Why would we on this board not be in favor of limiting an NCAA officials schedule? i.e. Every other day. This would give us all more of a chance to move up and we would all be fresher and more focused on our games.
RE: being NCAA officials as opposed to conference officials, both sides are correct - It is a HUGE undertaking and it WOULD make the game more consistent.
AAR

Re: Good Idea
 

Heck, considering what AAR said, I think 2 games per week is plenty for the current D1 officials. Maybe someday down the road I'll change my mind but until I get there, that's my stance!

Wouldn't it just be easier to get all the Conference Commissioners/Assigners on the same page nationally...instead of letting Assigner X from Conference Big-time tell his officials to call the game the way he/she wants it called, while Assigner Y from Conference TV Contract gets to decide to have games called differently - why not let the NCAA have some "teeth" in enforcing things at that level - rather than just the memo's Hank Nichols sends out...

Maybe we would be in favor of it; but the guys working those schedules sure wouldn't be.

I agree with Chuck whole heartedly. Something else to consider, we all talk about integrity and how important it is to all of us. If we want the D1 guys to only work 2 games a week so that we can get there, then when we would get there want to change it back, well that to me is an integrity issue. If we want to look honestly at the proposal, we have to look at it from the D1 guys perspective....