American Athletic and Atlantic Coast Conferences form college officiating partnership

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The American Athletic Conference announced that it will form an officiating alliance with the Atlantic Coast Conference effective for the 2018 season.

In light of the changes, American Athletic Conference supervisor Terry McAulay will be out of a job. McAulay has been supervisor of officials for 10 years, beginning with the Big East until it reconstituted as the American in 2013. Former NFL officiating supervisor and rules analyst Jim Daopoulos was the head of replay for the conference, and he is also out.

Multiple sources say McAulay could become the national director of instant replay, a role that would involve grading and training replay officials. 

Dennis Hennigan, supervisor of officials for the ACC, will assign, hire and train officials in both conferences. Another person at the American will grade officials and act as “primary point person between the conference and its 12 head football coaches.”

“We thank Terry McAulay for his years of dedicated service to the American Athletic Conference and to college football,” said Mike Aresco, commissioner of the American, in a news release. “Terry has done an outstanding job for our conference and has been a model of integrity and professionalism. We wish him well in the future.”

This officiating partnership between the ACC and the American is similar to other college officiating consortia in the country. In the midwest, former NFL official Bill Carollo oversees Big 10, Mid American and Missouri Valley Conference officiating. Current NFL referee Walt Anderson oversees Big 12, Mountain West and Southland Conference officiating. While I don’t think we’ll see all conferences under one officiating umbrella, the recent news is further evidence that regional partnerships are here for the foreseeable future.