The North Coast Athletic Conference (NCAC) is joining Division III and Division II conferences across the country in celebrating “Officials’ Appreciation Week” during the 2024-25 academic year. Now in its third year, this initiative, launched by the Division III Commissioners Association (DIIICA), aims to recognize and thank officials who support all sports across our conferences.
This year’s appreciation efforts have taken place during the fall and winter sport seasons, and will wrap up with a week dedicated to spring sport officials from April 7–13.
The commitment of NCAC officials and referees to safe, fair, and competitive contests is a critical part of the student-athlete experience.
“Officials are essential to our goals of fair and safe competition in Division III. It is all too easy to overlook the effort and passion officials put into every contest. We use this week to celebrate the officials and the positive impact they have on the experiences we are able to provide for our student-athletes. We literally wouldn't be able to play without them,” said Keri Alexander Luchowski, Executive Director of the NCAC.
Officials’ Appreciation Week is one of numerous initiatives that are being implemented as part of the Division III Commissioners Association (DIIICA) Strategic Plan for Collegiate Officiating that was created as a result of the DIIICA’s Strategic Analysis of the State of Collegiate Officiating. In conjunction with the NCAA and the National Association of Sports Officials (NASO), there is an urgent need for sports officials, if interested please visit the NCAA’s Say Yes to Officiating platform to learn more.