TIL NFL Referee Gene Steratore...
 

...is also a D1 basketball official. He was working the West Virginia/Seton Hall game this evening. I think he's an outstanding NFL official. Any opinions about his basketball work; and how much does a D1 official get paid these days?

You didn't know this?

http://statsheet.com/mcb/referees/gene-steratore

I feel stupid b/c I didnt know this either.

FWIW, I think he is currently the best official in the NFL right now.

D 1 Pay
 

Some conferences are paying over $3,000 a game.

And I believe his brother is an NFL official and works NCAA-W basketball.

You are correct.

Gene's older brother is Tony, a BJ on Boger's crew. Gene is among the elite Rs in the NFL.

There is currently a changing of the guard going on wrt to the best crews. Hochuli, Carey, Anderson, McAulay, Leavy and those guys are still good officials, but Steratore, Cheffers, Blakeman are the new guys coming up. Sadly, I don't think Riveron or Boger will reach that torus.

Morelli is the frontrunner for the SB, imho. Next is either Steratore or Hochuli.

Is this a game fee?

How much do they get for airline transportation.
How much do they get for hotel accomodations.
How much do they get for rental car or cab fare?
How much do they get for meal money.

Once again, is that the game fee or does the $3,000 cover everything?

If that is not an all inclusive fee, could you break it down. What is the actual game fee and what are the other fees involved. Inquiring minds want to know.

And here is an article on the NFL pay from the strike in 2001. This was a 6 year contract. Of course they have signed another contract since then.
NFL game officials voted yesterday to accept a new, six-year contract from the league, which will put them back on the field Sunday when play resumes.

They'll get an immediate increase of nearly 50 percent, raising the salary scale to $29,000 for first-year officials and to $90,000 for officials with at least 20 years experience in the league. Referees will receive an additional $10,000 a year.

It was considerably less than the NFL Referees Association was seeking as it sought to make up for what the officials considered underpayment in the past. But the reality is the officials had no leverage and little public support.

The 119 union officials, who had been locked out since the final week of exhibition games, voted by e-mail and telephone, facing what thus amounted to a now-or-maybe-never decision.

NFL negotiators made it clear this would be a "final" offer, and even leaders of the officiating union recognized the likelihood they'd be in for a long siege if they voted down the deal. One said he saw nothing on the horizon that he believed would cause the owners to increase their offer.

"I don't think anybody was completely happy with the contract," said one longtime official who asked not to be identified. "The key thing was that it was presented as a 'final offer.' I think that influenced a lot of guys. I think people wanted to work this year, and there was a great sense that, if we didn't accept this, we wouldn't be working."

Vote totals were not announced, but one source with knowledge of the vote said about two-thirds of the officials were in favor of approval.

In terms of dollar value of the total package, the contract is similar to one the union's 10-man executive committee rejected before the start of the season, without putting it to a vote of all the officials. That deal then was pulled off the table by the NFL, which subsequently reduced its offer.

The preseason offer contained an immediate raise of 60 percent, and some officials contacted by The Chronicle were upset they now had to settle for less. (Benefits in some other areas were increased, however.)

Further, senior officials -- those with at least 20 years in the league -- won't get the full percentage increase. Over six years, their pay scales will increase 96 percent, to a maximum of $120,000 a year. Lower pay scales will increase up to 150 percent over six years.

"The senior officials now are the ones getting screwed in this whole deal," one official said. "I'm just sick about it. The relationships between us and the league will never be the same again."

Salaries for first-year officials will go up $1,000 a year after this year, to $34,000 in 2006. Salaries for 10-year officials, which is about the median in the league, will be $51,325 this season and rise in steps to $63,900 in 2006. Twenty-year officials will go from $90,000 this year to $100,000 in 2002 and will get raises of $5,000 in each of the following four years.

Playoff money would increase proportionately, pensions would be hiked 40 percent to $210 a month per year of service and, for the first time, the NFL would offer matching contributions to 401(k) plans. Fees paid for exhibition games and offseason clinics also will rise.

Read more: NFL officials accept league's 'final' offer / Regular crews will work Sunday's games

So Mr. Steratore is making at least 80k as an 10 NFL ref using the 2001-2006 contract pay-scale which includes his extra 10k a year for being a referee. Apparently back in 2001 they also got 12k for the super bowl and that should have gone up in the new contract. It does not say how much for the other rounds. They should have signed a new and better contract in 2007 but since there was no strike there is not much information about the 2007 contract.

Also, at 60 D-1 basketball games for 3,000 a game that is $180,000. 300K between the 2 sports is not a bad gig. Not busting on him, cause I think he deserves it.

In addition, he runs his own sanitary company with his brother which allows for all the time off that both of them need to pursue other vocations and avocations. Hope the person who runs the business while they are away gets a pretty penny (they can afford it) since they are helping both pursue their dreams.

Pension of 42k for life without saving another penny after 20 years is not bad and that was in the old 2001-2006 contract.

$3,000 is the top of the pay scale. Steratore is not getting that for all (or maybe any) of his games. Those $2,2000 and higher numbers are for the big boy conferences (Big East; Big 12; SEC; etc)

A lot of conferences that use to pay travel are now just paying a flat fee.

For example, the Colonial (VCU; George Mason) used to pay something like $900-1,300/game plus travel. Now I believe the scale is $1,500/1,700/1,900 flat fee.

I believe the low end mid-majors are in the $550 flat fee range.

Once again is that $3,000 top of the pay scale a "game fee" plus extra money for expenses (flight, hotel, meals, etc.), or a "flat fee" with everything wrapped into that flat fee? thanks.

And of course the link shows that Steratore works in the "big boy" conferences B10(8) and BE(17) for 25 games along with the A-10 for 13 games.

It's total, abd the amount of the game fee portion of it depends on the "experience level" (or whatever they call it).

I'm not privy to every contract and its language. I gave an answer based what I've heard. Ask one of the big boys if you want intimate details or check the Referee Magazine archives. They've done articles on it. An official's resume' plays a part in the pay scale (previous tourney and Final Four experience for example) as well as being U1, U2, or Crew Chief.

Why does it really matter? I understand discussing it out of curiosity, but your dissertation borders on an unhealthy obsession.

I saw the Missouri Valley's pay scale a while back. It started around $1200/game and went over $2000/game depending on what "tier" you are in. Pretty sure that didn't include lodging/airfare/per diem. Basketball is the most lucrative sport. Even the big baseball conferences only pay around $1000 for a series.

NFL referee pay is surprisingly low compared to MLB umpires.

Per game?

A lot more games in MLB (~10 times).

Doing His Homework ???
 

Choosing a career path? Let's see? Twenty-five games? At $3000.00 per game? Minus expenses? No. He's not quiting his day job. Wait a minute. I've heard the same thing from several fans over the past thirty-plus years.

Stick with the curiosity part.

Clicked on the link and noted that there were several D-1 that worked over 100 games over the years. At 3,000 plus expenses versus 3,000 minus expenses there could be a huge difference in the actual game fee. Making 300k for a season plus expenses versus making 100k plus expenses would be quite a swing. For 3,000 plus expenses for 100 games, one would definitely not need another job.

And yes, Steratore makes out much better at 6k per game by now on the way to 8k per game by year 20 in the NFL, than he would at 3k per D-1 basketball game. But, at 300k per year through officiating, he does not need another job.

Just peeked my curiosity, and I found the numbers interesting. That's all. Sorry if I offended or went overboard. Thanks for your help.

You're Excused, This Time ...
 

One thing that I've learned since I retired from public school teaching, and now work in private industry: Never, never ever, discuss your pay with your colleagues. And don't discuss religion, sex, or politics, at work either.

Sorry if I came across snippy, I think I let my political aversion to people complaining about how much money other people make color the way I read your post.

I know one of those officials who is always at the top of the numbers list. I'll repeat, not every game is $3K. NEC, MAAC, CAA, Southern, etc are the games that fill out those schedules when they are not working ACC, SEC, etc. You're basing your numbers on a faulty assumption.

Occupy The Forum ...
 

Are you the 1%, or the 99%? I really want to see snippy. Go for it. Don't be bashful. Don't hold back.

Yeah I thought of that after I posted.

I guess there's a tradeoff: In baseball, you travel a lot more but don't need a second job. In football, most of the time you would need a second job but don't have to travel nearly as much.

I think the NFL guys should get a big big raise.

Working the NFL should include great pay to live off of. The NFL makes sooo much money, it isn't funny.

Agreed.

Ref Pay
 

The $ 3,000 is everything. Some of the conferences have gone to a flat fee and the ref has to take care of their own travel expenses.

Not unless you are a Major League guy and a top of the line fill in. Otherwise you need another job. And one of the reasons mostly the very young even think about doing pro baseball.

A football official in the NFL has not much of a different lifestyle than a college or even High school official.

Peace

I was speaking of MLB only, not MiLB, as it's an entirely different animal.

You have to work to that level too. So the regular job a D1 guy would have is totally different than a baseball umpire would have in rare cases.

That was my point and why most sports officials have a profession or business on the side. All games are not at the top rate unless you are a Final Four official and you are working consistently in the bigger conferences.

Peace

I realize that. I was simply making the point that MLB umpires do not need a second job and NFL referees usually do. That is all.

[/QUOTE]

I will address conferences out West (PAC 12, WCC. Big Sky). Their fees are tiered depending on level of experience and its all inclusive (travel and food) comes out of that fee. Highest end of scale in PAC 12 is about $2200.

And Please don't ask me to reveal my sources..my lips are sealed :rolleyes:

I think the difference is that the travel schedules of their sports allow them to have first (rather than second) jobs. Most people I know could survive on the NFL referee salary of 80K (as quoted in this thread), so "need" isn't an issue rather than schedule.

Yes most could survive, but you might have had another job before you got into the NFL. Then unlike MLB you can get fired in a matter of a year or two and not have anything. They never fire MLB guys for anything. And in some cases I am sure the NFL salary would be a pay cut if they took that job alone. There are a few that are lawyers and own businesses.

Peace

I was going to address the fact that NFL refs will have had to have careers outside of football before getting to that level, so why would they quit just because they get to the NFL?