WAC, MWC, and the Big 12 will be working together for refs

HA Note: "Beginning this season the game officials could be regional groups, an amalgam of either WAC and Mountain West Conference officials or WAC, MWC and Big 12 officials working across conference lines. And, in 2009, get ready for combined WAC, MWC, Big 12, Conference USA and, maybe, even Pac-10 officials. The WAC is in the forefront of a long overdue move toward regionalizing the officials who work college football games and the 2008 season, pending final approval this spring, will be the first step beyond the experimental stages."

HA Note: "The idea — and it is a good one — is that officials will no longer be tied to or identified with a single conference but come out of a regional pool that takes its orders and instruction together. The better to encourage a uniformity where there has sometimes been big differences in rule interpretation and enforcement."

Hawaii-based ref Frank White (who has worked as a ref for 25 years) said that under the proposed system:
"you shouldn't be able to see any differences on any game, whether it is an Air Force, Oklahoma or Hawai'i game. The (enforcement) should be identical." (HA)

About the collaboration between WAC/MWC/Big 12 for refs, WAC commisioner Karl Benson said:
"Right now the WAC, Mountain West and Big 12 are demonstrating a sincere desire and interest in creating a better officiating system." (HA)