The American Athletic Conference is reportedly in the process of giving its officiating oversight process a makeover. According to a report from USA Today, that includes removing Terry McAulay as the conference’s coordinator of football officiating and potentially partnering with another conference to oversee officials.
McAulay has held the position of coordinator of football officials since the conference’s rebranding from the demise of the Big East as a football conference, after working with the Big East in a similar capacity, yet a growing list of controversial officiating blunders may have been the tipping point in the conference’s decision. According to the report, the AAC’s plan to align with another conference to improve officiating oversight eliminated the need to have McAulay in such a position. What conference the AAC would be aligned with and how that would be structured remains unknown at this time.
The Big Ten and MAC currently have a partnership regarding oversight of officials. The AAC could potentially join them in that effort or form a similar bond with another power conference, such as the ACC or another non-power conference like Conference USA (or both?). Aligning with another conference helps enhance the amount of resources made available to the AAC and any other conference they partner with, so this seems like a good call for the conference’s integrity in officiating. Because no official changes have been announced by the AAC, including the reported removal of McAulay from his position, there has been no comment on what the AAC has planned at this time.
Where that leaves McAulay remains to be seen. It is always possible McAulay could still have a hand in officiating oversight in some capacity, but for now, it seems he will no longer hold the single most authoritative voice in the conference when it comes to officials.