College football officials to explore use of centralized, neutral replay system for postseason games

Use of centralized, neutral replay officials has emerged as a prominent talking point on the heels of a sometimes contentious College Football Playoff, sources confirmed to CBS Sports. 

The issue is considered a key agenda item at the annual College Football Officiating (CFO) meeting that begins Monday in Dallas. FBS commissioners and their officiating supervisors will meet through Wednesday for what was described as a “debriefing” following the 2024 season.

Centralized replay would put two persons not affiliated with a conference in charge of reviewing plays for all CFP games. Bowl games and perhaps even nonconference matchups in Week Zero could be added to that list. 

Currently, the collaborative replay official and replay supervisor overseeing crews from a particular conference monitor games at the DVSports headquarters in Pittsburgh. In the future, those persons would be neutral. 

It will also be discussed whether hiring one neutral person to oversee the entire replay process throughout the playoff. 

The concept has long been used by the NFL. However, FBS conferences typically stay in their own silos with on-field officials and the use of replay officials paid by the leagues. 

That practice has periodically led to claims of favoritism or outright mistakes. Over the years it’s fair to say Pac-12 officiating had developed a less-than-stellar reputation. The league’s former general counsel famously called in from a boat in 2018 to change a targeting call. 

Following his program’s first visit to Texas in 66 years last season, Georgia coach Kirby Smart said, “They tried to rob us of calls in this place.” The SEC game was officiated by what is largely thought to be the game’s best officials.

Earlier this month, Big 12…

Source link : https://www.cbssports.com/college-football/news/college-football-officials-to-explore-use-of-centralized-neutral-replay-system-for-postseason-games/

Author : Dennis Dodd

Publish date : 2025-01-27 15:23:00

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