The barrier has long since been torn down for women in the college football world, both for players and for officials, but the Fight Hunger Bowl is going to take things to the next step by having not one, but two female officials. It will be the first game at the FBS level to involve multiple women maintaining the rules of the game on the field.
The officials come from Conference USA. Sarah Thomas will serve as the game’s line judge. Maia Chake will take on the responsibilities of head linesman (linesperson?). Thomas is noted for breaking down the barrier as the first woman official in a game back in 2007. She later became the first woman to officiate a bowl game in 2009 at the Little Caesars Bowl. Thomas has also worked in the NFL.
It should be noted that this is not the first college football game to utilize multiple women as officials. As noted by the Associated Press, Miles College had four women serve as officials for a division two football game earlier this season.
This year’s Fight Hunger Bowl will see BYU take on Washington in San Francisco on December 27.