Paperclip
8/13/2007, 01:09 PM
:rolleyes:
SLC teams up with Big 12 in officiating
By KEVIN GORE
Sentinel Staff
Sunday, August 12, 2007
With more than 30 years of officiating experience under his belt, Bryon Boston understands the importance of getting it right.
"Our goal is that an official's mistake never determines who wins the Southland Conference," Boston said.
Boston, who serves as coordinator of Southland Conference officials, introduced a new affiliation between the Southland Conference and Big 12 Conference at the SLC football kickoff meetings in Houston a few weeks ago.
Here's how the partnership will work.
Boston said SLC and Big 12 Conference officials will work in their respective leagues throughout the non-conference portion of the football season.
But when league play begins for each respective conference — which cuts the number of games in each league by half because league teams are playing one another — Boston said there will be Big 12 games with some SLC officials and SLC games with some Big 12 officials.
Boston, whose 13 years of officiating in the NFL included Super Bowl XXXIV, between St. Louis and Tennessee, said the partnership is all about taking measures to train and evaluate officials.
"We hope that there will be better quality of officiating on the field," he said. "The Big 12 Conference has a lot of resources that will be useful. They have excellent video operations. We will be able to watch every game from every conference."
Boston said all of it is necessary because the game is getting faster and faster. Plus, there is replay, which is implemented by several conferences.
"We have to get officials up to the speed of the game," Boston said. "Replay tends to expose the mistakes of officials. We don't want that."
Boston said Big 12 officials make approximately $975 per game, with some travel and per diem tacked on.
He said SLC officials make approximately $575, which includes any travel and per diem.
He said the pay per game for officials will be adjusted when Big 12 officials work an SLC game or SLC officials work a Big 12 game.
Compensation aside, Boston said the partnership will give officials more games to work, which should keep them sharper.
"This will keep the officials working throughout the season, instead of them having some weeks off," he said.
Boston began his Division I collegiate officiating career in the Southland Conference in 1987.
SLC teams up with Big 12 in officiating
By KEVIN GORE
Sentinel Staff
Sunday, August 12, 2007
With more than 30 years of officiating experience under his belt, Bryon Boston understands the importance of getting it right.
"Our goal is that an official's mistake never determines who wins the Southland Conference," Boston said.
Boston, who serves as coordinator of Southland Conference officials, introduced a new affiliation between the Southland Conference and Big 12 Conference at the SLC football kickoff meetings in Houston a few weeks ago.
Here's how the partnership will work.
Boston said SLC and Big 12 Conference officials will work in their respective leagues throughout the non-conference portion of the football season.
But when league play begins for each respective conference — which cuts the number of games in each league by half because league teams are playing one another — Boston said there will be Big 12 games with some SLC officials and SLC games with some Big 12 officials.
Boston, whose 13 years of officiating in the NFL included Super Bowl XXXIV, between St. Louis and Tennessee, said the partnership is all about taking measures to train and evaluate officials.
"We hope that there will be better quality of officiating on the field," he said. "The Big 12 Conference has a lot of resources that will be useful. They have excellent video operations. We will be able to watch every game from every conference."
Boston said all of it is necessary because the game is getting faster and faster. Plus, there is replay, which is implemented by several conferences.
"We have to get officials up to the speed of the game," Boston said. "Replay tends to expose the mistakes of officials. We don't want that."
Boston said Big 12 officials make approximately $975 per game, with some travel and per diem tacked on.
He said SLC officials make approximately $575, which includes any travel and per diem.
He said the pay per game for officials will be adjusted when Big 12 officials work an SLC game or SLC officials work a Big 12 game.
Compensation aside, Boston said the partnership will give officials more games to work, which should keep them sharper.
"This will keep the officials working throughout the season, instead of them having some weeks off," he said.
Boston began his Division I collegiate officiating career in the Southland Conference in 1987.