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Southland Notebook: SLC, Big 12 join forces to improve football officiating

Nicholls State becomes first league team to beat FBS opponent this season
By Cody Stark
Assistant Sports Editor

In an attempt to insure the Southland Conference will field quality football officials this season and in the future, the league is teaming up with the Big 12 by sharing referees and holding training clinics throughout the year.

The idea was brought up by SLC commissioner Tom Burnett and Big 12 commissioner Dan Beebe as a way to help both leagues.

The Southland has been a building stone for future Big 12 officials, and this is a way for both conferences to take advantage of each other’s resources.

The move was announced this summer at the SLC Football Media Days and started Thursday night during Sam Houston State’s game against Angelo State.

“Anytime, regardless of the subject matter, when you can make an advance forward and improve what you got, you have to be pleased with that,” Burnett said in July. “I think historically you will find, and (SLC coordinator of football officials) Byron (Boston) brought it up, that 10 of the NFL officials got their start in the Southland Conference.

http://www.itemonline.com/sports/local_ ... 31834.html

Well we saw last week exactly how good Big 12 officials are, having to appologize to Arkansas State for blowing a call that could have won them the game against Texas. We see how good they are by jobbing Texas State when they played A&M in 2005. Last week I saw first hand the worst officiatting at Bobcat Stadium since last year's Northern Colorado game, in which the Southland Conference had to appologize for missing two calls that cost the Bobcats the game. So good luck with that. The rest of you pray that you don't get Southland, Big 12 wanna be refs for your out of conference games.