Washingtonian
Hall of Famer
http://espn.go.com/mens-college-bas...fer-officiating-centralized-espn-survey-shows
College basketball officials are currently independent contractors, not technically beholden to any one conference even though they primarily work for certain conferences or, in some cases, just one. The NCAA tournament has a coordinator of officials, but newly named J.D. Collins' duties only deal with administering the officials and rules for the tournament. Conference official coordinators and commissioners assign and discipline officials during the regular season and conference tournament, although per-game fees in the latter are higher. College officials are responsible for their own insurance and tax filing as well as travel expenses during the regular season and conference tournament, as well.
Officials receive an estimated $3,000-plus per game in a game involving a Power 5 conference team, with fees ranging from $1,000 to $2,600 for lower-level conferences. All officials are paid on a tiered system, with veterans and those who have worked the NCAA tournament receiving more than others. According to one official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, there is no movement to become employees of the NCAA or a particular conference, or even unionize.
The coaches polled asked that their responses be anonymous.
"I think our business model is broke in terms of officiating,'' one coach from a Power 5 conference said. "There is a head of officiating for the tournament. But there is no power with that. Officials at the NCAA are independent contractors. That must change for our game to be uniformed and consistent as good as it can be. The NBA officials work for the NBA. The NCAA officials don't work for the NCAA. They work for themselves. If our conference commissioner wants to reprimand an official, he or she can't. That official can go work for another league. There is no teeth to the conference commissioners of officials. They have to manage them, but can't discipline them."
College basketball officials are currently independent contractors, not technically beholden to any one conference even though they primarily work for certain conferences or, in some cases, just one. The NCAA tournament has a coordinator of officials, but newly named J.D. Collins' duties only deal with administering the officials and rules for the tournament. Conference official coordinators and commissioners assign and discipline officials during the regular season and conference tournament, although per-game fees in the latter are higher. College officials are responsible for their own insurance and tax filing as well as travel expenses during the regular season and conference tournament, as well.
Officials receive an estimated $3,000-plus per game in a game involving a Power 5 conference team, with fees ranging from $1,000 to $2,600 for lower-level conferences. All officials are paid on a tiered system, with veterans and those who have worked the NCAA tournament receiving more than others. According to one official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, there is no movement to become employees of the NCAA or a particular conference, or even unionize.
The coaches polled asked that their responses be anonymous.
"I think our business model is broke in terms of officiating,'' one coach from a Power 5 conference said. "There is a head of officiating for the tournament. But there is no power with that. Officials at the NCAA are independent contractors. That must change for our game to be uniformed and consistent as good as it can be. The NBA officials work for the NBA. The NCAA officials don't work for the NCAA. They work for themselves. If our conference commissioner wants to reprimand an official, he or she can't. That official can go work for another league. There is no teeth to the conference commissioners of officials. They have to manage them, but can't discipline them."
