A week ago, the Pac-12 hired a former NFL officiating guru to take a closer look at officiating and offer ideas on restructuring.
Today, word is the Pac-12 fired about a dozen referees. Scape goats. The deficiencies start before any referee walks onto the field.
Fans know the officiating in the Pac-10 is suspect. For years, if it wasn’t the gaff in the Oregon-Oklahoma game it was the Washington-Oregon State goof.
These egregious errors are most certainly the fault of the referees. But the crews working these games were being guided by regulations born from confusion.
The referees never had a chance.
In his second year as Commissioner, Larry Scott, announced Friday February 11, that Dave Cutaia is “stepping down” and Mike Pereira will replace him as the Coordinator of Football Officiating on an interim basis.
The press release can be found here
It’s essential for the conference to improve its officiating – Pac-12 Commissioner Larry Scott told the Associated Press
Pereira spent this season with Fox Sports and was in the booth during the Super Bowl analyzing the officiating. He was the NFL’s Vice President of Officiating from 2004-09, and spent the five seasons previous to that as the league’s Director of Officiating. He also served as an NFL game official when he acted as side judge for two seasons (1997-98), according to foxsports.com.
Pereira worked as a consultant for the Pac-10 this past season, as well.
For the Pac-12’s sake, it can start the new football season on the right foot. Pereira can look at the rules and regulations between now and August and make the necessary changes. The most pertinent: Replay officials – which officials work which games.
Paola Boivin, columnist for The Arizona Republic, said it four months ago. The then-Pac-10 has no one to blame but themselves, he wrote.
“Nothing is more disconcerting, however, than a Pac-10 policy that allows its officials to work games that feature their alma mater. Conflict of interest, anyone?”
Back in the 1980s, the Pac-10 removed a rule that barred officials from working games of their alma mater. Today, it seems a bit ludicrous. Something no other major conference allows.
The most recent Pac-10 game that comes to mind, the October 2010 Arizona-Oregon State game. Multiple calls went against Oregon State and Beaver fans were left with a sour taste in their mouths. Then, it was discovered the replay official, Jim Fogltance, was an Arizona graduate.
And a donor.
Our friends at pure-orange.net were surely less than enthused.
The Pac-10 righted the ship – sort of – by pulling him from the staff working the Arizona-Arizona State game a few weeks later.
If Pereira is to be successful, things like the Arizona-Oregon State game, cannot occur.
These officials are have hours of in-game experience, they take tests on the rules, and take part in year-round education. are classified as being in the top 5-percent of officials in NCAA football but the past administration put them in position to fail.
Scott said Pereira and the Pac-12 will be taking an NFL-style approach to solving the issues: Quick and a decisive.
That’s something Pac-10 officiating has been lack for years.
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