Sun Belt, SEC extend football officiating management agreement

NEW ORLEANS – The Sun Belt Conference announced on Wednesday the extension of its football officiating partnership with the Southeastern Conference.

The agreement runs through the 2022 season and includes all aspects of Sun Belt football, including the instant replay process. The SEC and Sun Belt have collaborated on football officiating and instant replay since 2013.

SEC Coordinator of Football Officials John McDaid will also serve as the Sun Belt’s Coordinator of Football Officials. In this role, McDaid will manage the recruitment of Sun Belt officials, make game assignments, oversee the league’s instant replay process, coordinate officials’ training and education throughout the year and monitor and evaluate officials. The collaborative replay function for the Sun Belt Conference instant replay reviews will continue to be supported from the Video Center at SEC Headquarters.

“The Sun Belt is excited to extend our collaboration with the Southeastern Conference to attract the top football officials in the country,” said Sun Belt Commissioner Keith Gill. “We want to continue our long-standing relationship with the SEC to provide outstanding training and education for our officials and build upon our strong football officiating partnership.”

McDaid had served as a referee in the Southeastern Conference since 2015, joining the SEC after two years in the same position with the American Athletic Conference. He was a referee in the Big East Conference from 2006-2012 and a back judge in the Big East from 2001-2005. McDaid has worked on the field for 16 postseason bowl games, including four College Football Playoff New Year’s Six Games and the 2010 Bowl Championship Series title game. He was also the referee for the 2017 SEC Championship Game.

“We are pleased to continue our relationship with the Sun Belt Conference and their football officiating program,” SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey stated. “This has proved to be mutually beneficial to both leagues since 2013 and we look forward to strengthening football officiating in this officiating consortium under (John) McDaid’s leadership.”

McDaid replaced longtime Coordinator of Officials and referee Steve Shaw, who had served as the football officiating coordinator for the Sun Belt (2013-19) and SEC (2011-19). Shaw was recently named college football’s national coordinator by the board of managers for the College Football Officiating, LLC.

The SEC also partners with the Southern Conference to coordinate its football officiating program. The officiating agreement with the SoCon was announced in February.

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