Do college basketball refs have other jobs?
Sarah Smith
Published Jan 22, 2026
Unlike NBA refs, who are employed by the league, college officials are independent contractors who are free to put together their own schedules.
How much does a college referee make basketball?
How Much Do College Basketball Referees Make? According to reports, college basketball referees take home an average salary between $58,000 and $72,000. The top officials in the bigger conferences like the SEC, ACC and Big Ten can be paid as much as $2,000 per game, but that number dwindles in smaller conference games.
How hard is it to become a college basketball referee?
College basketball officiating is highly competitive. Officials with one year of youth experience would most likely not be a candidate even though there isn't a designated number of years of experience to reach the college ranks.
Who is the youngest ref in the NBA?
Rush (born 1942) is a former professional basketball referee. He joined the NBA as a referee in 1966, at age 24, becoming the youngest referee in NBA history.
How do I become a college basketball ref?
Get Certified With Your State Through National Federation of State High School Associations. Get Additional Experience. Join the National Association of Sports Officials (NASO) Register with the NCAA and take the officiating exam.
30 related questions foundAre college refs full time?
Real referees explain how to fix it. Some NFL officials make $200,000 in one season. That's enough that it's a full-time job. It makes the spots competitive, is enough that it seems fair to hold them accountable for mistakes and it also allows the NFL to require a lot of training.
What does a college referee make?
Salary Ranges for College Football Referees
The salaries of College Football Referees in the US range from $11,753 to $314,406 , with a median salary of $57,014 . The middle 57% of College Football Referees makes between $57,015 and $142,490, with the top 86% making $314,406.
How much do Big 10 refs make per game?
Officials of college games are not covered by unions but still can make more than six figures — around $2,500 per game in major conferences like the Big East, Big Ten or Big XII — according to Sapling.
How much does an SEC ref make?
In the SEC, football officials are typically paid between $800 and $3,000 per game.
How much do refs make in the NFL?
It's estimated that in 2019, the average NFL referee made $205,000 per season. This is a significant increase over the previous year's earnings of around $150,000. NFL referees are not paid per match that they play. Referees receive a season-long fixed fee plus a per-game bonus.
How much do NCAA wrestling refs make?
While the top-tier refs make up to $2,000 for a regular-season game, their counterparts in the smaller conferences aren't so lucky. The average salary for NCAA refs across the board is only $33,000, before taxes.
Do college refs have other jobs?
They are paid well, but most of them have "day" jobs during the week and throughout the offseason. Some, including referees Walt Anderson and Terry McAulay, are officiating supervisors at the college level. Others have careers entirely unrelated to football.
What is the S on college referee shirts?
The side judge (S or SJ) works downfield behind the defensive secondary on the same sideline as the head linesman. Like the field judge, he makes decisions near the sideline on his side of field, judging the action of nearby running backs, receivers and defenders.
What is the H referee?
The official that wears a white hat is known as the head referee. This is the “leader” or the “captain” of the referees. This official will talk to the coach if there's an incident, be responsible for removing players from the game, and announce if there's a penalty.
What does the C stand for on football referees?
The center judge (C) is positioned beside the referee in the offensive backfield adjacent to the referee, positioned equivalent to the Umpire. Such responsibilities include ball spotting, penalty marking, and assisting the referee and umpire.
What brand do college referees wear?
Smitty Officials Apparel is now the Official Football Uniform Provider for all Division I, II and III NCAA conferences. When you flip on a college football game, the "S" will be visible on all on-field officials.
Is being an NBA ref a full-time job?
Officiating is a full-time job for the entire seven-month NBA season. Each NBA team in the league plays 82 regular-season games over that period. That doesn't even include the preseason, during which each team must play at least four games. Road trips can sometimes reach 24-25 days per month.
Do NFL refs travel with teams?
While the NFL will cover their travel expenses, refs usually have to make their own travel arrangements and do not travel with the NFL players. Refs tend to arrive at their destination the day before the game.
Is being an NFL ref a full-time job?
Do NFL referees have other jobs? As we mentioned before, NFL referees aren't paid during the offseason. They're not full-time employees of the NFL, at least for the most part. Back in 2017-18, the league had 20% of its referees as full-time employees but made them part-timers again for the 2020 NFL season.
How do you become a college wrestling referee?
Becoming a wrestling referee generally involves enrolling with your local state board, passing a written rules exam and passing a test of mechanics by demonstrating proper signals and positioning. One great way to improve is by watching experienced officials to learn how they handle calls, situations and coaches.
Who is the highest paid NBA referee?
Using the most recent statistics and referees rosters, we have compiled a list of the top 10 highest-paid NBA referee salaries below.
- James Capers.
- Sean Corbin. ...
- Tony Brothers. ...
- Rodney Mott. ...
- Scott Foster. ...
- Ken Mauer. ...
- Pat Fraher. ...
- Tom Washington. ...
What is the highest paid referee?
Brad Allen and Walter Anderson are the highest-paid NFL referees for the 2020-21 season.
How much do NFL Waterboys make?
On average, NFL waterboys make $53,000 per year (according to Stack.com). However, that's just the salary for beginners. For professionals, their salary can be higher as any other highest paid NFL waterboy.
What is NFL dead money?
That's where dead money comes into play.
In the NFL the term is used to describe money that counts against a team's salary cap attributed to players who were prematurely traded or released from the roster relative to their contract.
Who is the wealthiest NFL coach?
10 Highest Paid NFL Coaches in 2021
- 10 Highest Paid NFL Coaches in 2021. Bill Belichick. ...
- Bill Belichick. Annual salary: $12 million. ...
- Pete Carroll. Annual salary: $11 million. ...
- Jon Gruden. Annual salary: $10 million. ...
- Sean Payton. Annual salary: $9.8 million. ...
- John Harbaugh. Annual salary: $9 million. ...
- Sean McVay. ...
- Matt Rhule.