Former NFL officiating director Dean Blandino will now hold a similar role in the NCAA. On Monday, the NCAA announced Blandino has been named the College Football Officiating, LLC’s director of instant replay. Blandino takes on the role effective immediately, according to the NCAA’s released statement.
“Dean emerged as the best candidate from a talented group of people interested in helping shape the future of instant replay in college football,” said MAC commissioner Jon Steinbrecher. “His expertise and skills will help guide this important aspect of officiating.”
“I’m extremely excited to join the CFO and NCAA in this role,” Blandino said. “I’ve spent much of my career in the replay space and look forward to continuing to improve our processes and programming with the ultimate goal of efficient – and correct – outcomes.”
Blandino left the NFL to pursue an opportunity on TV, which he now holds with FOX as a rules analyst. The NCAA announcement says Blandino will be able to continue working in TV while holding this job. According to the NCAA announcement, Blandino’s role will focus on off-season development and educational duties in an effort to improve the consistency and accuracy of officials throughout the sport.
The term of Blandino’s role with the NCAA will run through the end of August and will start again beginning in January 2019 and run through the offseason until the start of the new season.