Ok looking for advice here and help. I know you have seen me and others complain about Conference Affiliated Refs. I’m sick of complaining and want to help in building a groundswell to actually change it. Here is the synopsis: Right now refs report to a conference. Last night is a perfect example with Va tech vs Miami. If my paycheck came from Acc conference as a ref I would be bias as well. Playoff spots are worth let’s say $20 million to my employer. Acc refs are not bad the fact that conferences are paying the refs and report to a specific conference is a problem. We need to change this and I don’t know how to. I am in private equity and feel I can raise outside capital to start a company that basically does a roll up of all college football refs. Put them in regions where the best refs in the SE get the best games based on performance. Have independent checks and balances to rank refs. So in a nutshell the best ref crew gets the biggest game in SE this weekend (ga at AL). 2nd best crew gets the 2nd best game irrespective of conf. It could be an ACC game as the 2nd best game. The worst ref crew gets the worst games such as wake forest playing vandy. How do we go about making a change. A website? Social media? Change.org. Do we get Twitter influencers? How do we go about approaching the refs regarding a new entity that pays them more and gives them better perks? I look forward to any ideas. Thanks
Got any suggestions? Right now the conferences are paying the refs. right now outside money funds the sec from media companies. What is the difference. Some entity needs to be created to pay the refs. The entity must have checks and balances such as oversight from Moodys and S&P or from audit firms such as Ernst and young or Deloitte or both.
I too, think something needs to be done to fix these homer refs, but not with outside money being involved. The fix has to be something less extreme. I'd like to see the conferences like the B1G and SEC swapping out refs randomly in games, especially when one team is ranked and the other team in not... but they can and should keep their best crews for their own best game match-ups... ranked on ranked. A game like Kentucky versus Ole Miss should be a crossover crew from another said confernce like the B1G.
The main issue is the P4 conferences run the NCAA, not the other way around. It’s in the conferences’ best interest to have conference-affiliated refs.
Yes less cost to the conferences or at least the same. They key is to get all the refs and then the conferences all have to pay us or they will need to get scrub refs from high school
How less? The PE becomes the middleman and will want to make a profit. The refs won't take less money. Plus there is no real money to be made so no PE will ever get involved. You are talking out your ass. From Gemini: College football referees earn between $2,000 and $3,000 per game in Division I (FBS). For a full season of 12 games, this can translate to earnings between $24,000 and $36,000. However, the exact amount can vary depending on the conference, experience level, and postseason assignments. NFL referees earn an average of $205,000 to $250,000 per year, which includes their base salary and game fees. This figure reflects the high stakes and intense scrutiny they face every week.
It’s not the refs fault. It is how it is aligned. It makes no sense for college football to be set up wrong. Refs should be a completely separate 3rd party to the conferences for integrity of the game. We will have many more games like Va tech vs Miami last night where it is very obvious that it is in the best interest of the Acc that Miami win.
Got any ideas? It needs to be fixed. Not a huge money making venture but some PE investments are steady 10% returns. My asset class I deal in forestry is more like 6%. If you are able to get all the refs (which is key) it would force the conferences to hire our refs. Remember if I could do this with just my brain I would not have posted for advice. Nobody is as smart as everyone. Maybe the money comes from family offices of the wealthiest Va tech, uf, nc state, Oklahoma, (teams that have gotten shafted by conf affiliated refs). I’m just spitballing
As long as the pay stays a 24-36,000 and the refs are part-time, this is the best it will get. The conferences won't pay more. And as much as fans bitch about bad calls. They get it right the majority of the time. Nobody that matters thinks the system needs to change.
The original OP is based on the premise that the Miami game crew blew the call. That is a questionable start. (Long dissection in The Athletic explained it, concluding the right call was made.)
Trying to get my head around someone whose job is to make private equity investments trying to invest in a complete startup with … challenging … revenue opportunities. I am managing partner for a $1.5bn AUM venture firm and we would even take a call for something like this. My advice is forget about it.
Not correct. It is not based on that game alone. Think of the help fsu received from their refs several times last year. How can anyone not see that refs should not report back to a conference is crazy. It is inherent bias in the set up. I feel it will be fixed years from now but prefer it sooner
I would not invest in it either and I am the OP unless and only if the new entity was able to lock down over 90 percent of all college football refs. If the proposed entity was able to do that hell yes I would invest.
