The Atlantic Coast and Big East conferences are forming an officiating alliance in men's basketball, the leagues announced Tuesday. The Atlantic 10 Conference and Colonial Athletic Association will also join the alliance that will allow the four leagues to collaborate on all officiating matters and "serve to enhance training, development, recruitment, retention and feedback for its basketball officials." The alliance is effective immediately heading into the 2016-17 season.
The regional approach follows a nationwide trend. The Pac-12 and Mountain West conferences used a similar alliance that included the West Coast and Western Athletic conferences for the 2015-16 season.
"There's been a movement towards consolidation," Big East commissioner Val Ackerman said on a conference call Tuesday. "One conference with one assigner is kind of more in the past than in the future. ...This is where college basketball is heading. ...Hopefully this will lead to growth across the NCAA."
Big East supervisor of officials John Cahill and ACC coordinator for men's basketball officiating Bryan Kersey — both former top NCAA referees — will manage the alliance.
Atlantic 10 commissioner Bernadette McGlad likewise expects the trend will be "benchmarked by other leagues and most likely by the NCAA."
ACC commissioner John Swofford called the alliance a "win-win-win-win for all leagues," saying it will provide a "consistent agenda" essential for the future, particularly with the NCAA's most recent rule changes.
"The geographic footprint isn't perfect but in today's conferences, it's very good," Swofford said. "We all know the travel for the officials can be brutal at times. We think this will really help that."
Ackerman stressed "consistency and accountability" and added that the move will lead to a "more rested referee" with less air travel.
"You could have an official go from College of Charleston to Virginia to Georgetown," she said. "Late in the season, that means something."
Swofford said women's basketball is far along from adopting a similar practice and that football is a "very different sport." Ackerman was optimistic about women's basketball following suit.
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