GLIAC – The Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference will become the 10th collegiate league and first NCAA Division II conference to join the Collegiate Officiating Consortium, which was established in 2008-09 to help recruit, train, evaluate and promote college football officials.

Officials from the Big Ten, Missouri Valley and Mid-American Conference, the Pioneer League and five Division III leagues make up the COC.

The consortium’s goal is to identify, recruit, train, develop, assign and evaluate game officials, who will benefit from developmental programming and assessment. GLIAC officials achieving higher standards and levels of training will benefit institutions and the conference as the COC assists with administrative oversight.

The COC also promotes diversity and provides leadership training. Since 2016, it has offered annual regional officiating camps, the Midwest Diversity Development Clinic and the Referee Leadership Clinic. A replay clinic was established in 2019.

“I am excited and energized to take on the role of football coordinator for the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference,” said Bill Carollo, who is the Big Ten Conference’s coordinator of officials. “The GLIAC has been for many years the national standard for Division II football and continues trending in an extremely positive direction, making this an ideal time to join forces with our football consortium. We are at a critical point nationally, not only in football but all sports, when it comes to available, qualified and trained officials. I believe the Collegiate Officiating Consortium is uniquely positioned to make an impactful change in this area for the future of the conference and for our game officials”. 

The agreement with the COC ends a long-standing relationship with GLIAC supervisor of officials Mike McCann, who served the league for 13 years.

“We’re grateful to Mike for his service to the GLIAC and college football,” GLIAC Commissioner Kris Dunbar said. “He is a true professional and we will miss working with him. This is a great opportunity for us to partner with the COC and have the ability to recruit and retain some of the best football officials in the Midwest.”