Four NCAA Division I conferences – the Big South, Ivy League, Northeast and Patriot League – will join the Men’s Basketball Officiating Alliance that was formed last year by the Atlantic Coast Conference, Big East Conference, Atlantic 10 Conference and Colonial Athletic Association. The participation of the four new conferences is effective immediately.
The Alliance will enable all eight conferences to work together on a wide range of officiating matters, including scheduling, training, development, recruitment, retention and evaluation. The long-term mission of the Alliance is to increase proficiency and consistency among veteran officials across the collegiate basketball officiating landscape and to facilitate the entry of younger referees into the officiating profession.
Bryan Kersey, the ACC’s Supervisor of Men’s Basketball Officiating, and John Cahill, the Big East Coordinator of Officiating, will continue to lead the operation of the Alliance. They will be supported by Reggie Greenwood from the Ivy/Patriot, the Big South’s Joe Forte and Jack Sweeney from the NEC.
“It is a pleasure that we are able to welcome the Ivy League, Patriot, Big South and Northeast Conferences to our alliance with the Big East, the A-10 and the CAA,” said ACC Commissioner John Swofford. “As we found through our efforts during the last basketball season, combining the expertise and resources of outstanding basketball conferences gives us a chance to prominently support current and future officials. Adding these important conferences will provide an even greater opportunity to build consistency and quality throughout the officiating ranks.”
“Through the addition of these four distinguished conferences to our alliance, we look forward to building on our work with the ACC, A-10 and CAA over the last year and furthering our overarching goal of enhancing men’s college basketball officiating,” said Big East Commissioner Val Ackerman. “The sport can only gain from the collaboration, communication and synergies the expanded alliance will afford.”
“This alliance has been a true model of collaboration benefiting all, welcoming the new conferences is exciting and forward thinking,” said A-10 Commissioner Bernadette V. McGlade.
“On behalf of the Colonial Athletic Association I would like to extend a warm welcome to the Big South, Ivy League, Northeast Conference and Patriot League as they join our Men’s Basketball Officiating Alliance,” said CAA Commissioner Joe D’Antonio. “We look forward to the alliance creating greater opportunities for training and evaluation of officials, and continuing to improve the quality of officiating throughout all of our conferences.”
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