How are officiating crews picked for inter conference games at the college level

[Official_21]

Just watching the Texas A&M (SEC) and Clemson (ACC) game.

The crew is from the SEC, so I was curious, how are officiating crews picked for inter conference games in the pre-season/playoffs?

[ElvisLives]

Just watching the Texas A&M (SEC) and Clemson (ACC) game.

The crew is from the SEC, so I was curious, how are officiating crews picked for inter conference games in the pre-season/playoffs?

By mutual agreement of the institutions/conferences.  In most cases the conference of the visiting team provides the officials.  If not, then the conference of the home team.  Once in a blue moon, a crew from a third party conference will be asked to work a specific game.

Post season assignments are coordinated by the National Coordinator, and are always third party crews.

Robert

[Official_21]

By mutual agreement of the institutions/conferences.  In most cases the conference of the visiting team provides the officials.  If not, then the conference of the home team.  Once in a blue moon, a crew from a third party conference will be asked to work a specific game.

Post season assignments are coordinated by the National Coordinator, and are always third party crews.

Robert

Makes sense, thanks for the info.

[Official_21]

Post season assignments are coordinated by the National Coordinator, and are always third party crews.

Robert

Are crews graded for post season assignments in the NCAA, similar to the NFL? Although, if I am not mistaken, the NFL grades individual officials instead of the entire crews for playoff assignments.

[ElvisLives]

Are crews graded for post season assignments in the NCAA, similar to the NFL? Although, if I am not mistaken, the NFL grades individual officials instead of the entire crews for playoff assignments.

The National Coordinator assigns the conference that will provide the crew for each specific bowl game.  Other than the “third party” element, I can’t truly say how those decisions are made, but the major bowls, and playoffs, always go to the Power 5 conferences.  As for specific officials, that is pretty much left to the coordinator for the conference that will provide the officials.  Some rely on grading (or, at least they claim to rely on grading) for their assignments.  I know at least one beloved former coordinator that just rotated his personnel into bowl games, on the belief that all of his staff was fully qualified to work any game he had to assign, or he would not have hired them.  I don’t know how many coordinators follow that philosophy, but, I’m afraid there aren’t many, if any, these days.

During the “BCS” era, there was an unwritten agreement that, if a non-BCS team earned a BCS bowl game, then the officiating staff for that non-BCS conference would be given a BCS bowl assignment the following season.  Well, guess what?  A non-BCS team earned a BCS game.  The next year, when bowl season came around, a certain conference commissioner made dang sure that only BCS staffs worked BCS games.  So, there are some politics involved.

[Official_21]

The National Coordinator assigns the conference that will provide the crew for each specific bowl game.  Other than the “third party” element, I can’t truly say how those decisions are made, but the major bowls, and playoffs, always go to the Power 5 conferences.  As for specific officials, that is pretty much left to the coordinator for the conference that will provide the officials.  Some rely on grading (or, at least they claim to rely on grading) for their assignments.  I know at least one beloved former coordinator that just rotated his personnel into bowl games, on the belief that all of his staff was fully qualified to work any game he had to assign, or he would not have hired them.  I don’t know how many coordinators follow that philosophy, but, I’m afraid there aren’t many, if any, these days.

During the “BCS” era, there was an unwritten agreement that, if a non-BCS team earned a BCS bowl game, then the officiating staff for that non-BCS conference would be given a BCS bowl assignment the following season.  Well, guess what?  A non-BCS team earned a BCS game.  The next year, when bowl season came around, a certain conference commissioner made dang sure that only BCS staffs worked BCS games.  So, there are some politics involved.

Once again, thanks for the info 

[Magician]

By mutual agreement of the institutions/conferences.  In most cases the conference of the visiting team provides the officials.  If not, then the conference of the home team.  Once in a blue moon, a crew from a third party conference will be asked to work a specific game.

Post season assignments are coordinated by the National Coordinator, and are always third party crews.

Robert

It's an annual thing. The B1G seems to always work a game in Atlanta or Dallas every year that doesn't involve a B1G team. But for the most part you are correct.

[Sonofanump]

Are crews graded for post season assignments in the NCAA, similar to the NFL? Although, if I am not mistaken, the NFL grades individual officials instead of the entire crews for playoff assignments.

Very much so for FCS, as advancement beyond first two rounds depends on grades.
I don't think it really matter for FBS nationally, as you only would work one bowl game.  But the conference is interested it the performance.

[ElvisLives]

Those coordinators that use grades do so to make Bowl assignments for their staffs.  Wasn't always the case, but, for all I know these days, that could 100% of coordinators.
Some coordinators may have a performance threshold, above which any official may get a bowl assignment, even if his grades are not the absolute highest.  There are cases where an official performs at a very high level, but there is that one guy, at the same position, that always grades out the highest.  It isn't fair to deny a bowl assignment - or a top tier bowl assignment - to a guy that performs at a very high level, when that one other guy will always out-grade him by a few points.

Now, in some cases, that's their stated policy.  In reality - and I have actually heard one say this - they are going to put people they want in bowl games (irrespective of grades).  Grades from position graders for specific calls in individual games have been known to be changed by the coordinator, for the purpose of improving - or degrading - the evaluation of specific individuals, to justify bowl assignments and/or post-season evaluations.

Believe it, or not.