NEW YORK (AP) — The Big East Conference and seven other Division I conferences, including the Atlantic Coast Conference, have established a women's basketball officiating alliance.
The conferences on Monday announced the goal of the alliance is to enhance the quality, consistency and development of officiating. The alliance will use a collaborative system of assigning, training, evaluation and oversight.
Other conferences included in the alliance are the American Conference, Atlantic 10 Conference, Big South Conference, Coastal Athletic Association, Ivy League and Metro Conference.
The officiating alliance will be led by Pualani Spurlock-Welsh, who was recently named supervisor of officials for the ACC, Big East and American Conference. Spurlock-Welsh will work with supervisors of the other conferences in the alliance to develop assignments for officials that better maximize geographic efficiency.
“The Big East is proud to play a key role in strengthening women’s college basketball officiating as part of our commitment to providing the best possible experience for our student-athletes,” Big East commissioner Val Ackerman said in a statement.
“This alliance represents an important opportunity to collaborate in identifying, developing and supporting officials while sharing resources and expertise across the participating conferences.”
A previous informal women's basketball officiating alliance was led by supervisor Deb Williamson, who has retired.
Spurlock-Welsh has been a full-time official for multiple conferences since 2011. She has officiated every women's NCAA Tournament, including four Final Fours, in that time.
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