Intramural Sports remain one of the most impactful student engagement opportunities on college campuses. The data related to the impact is clear. Intramural sports cannot function properly without a well-functioning sports officials program that has enough to meet the demand of the teams wanting to play. Sports officials bring control to the chaos that is sport, promote fairness, ensure safety and encourage good sportsmanship. In the world of sports, referees play a crucial role in maintaining fairness, upholding rules, and ensuring the integrity of the game. However, in recent years, there has been a concerning decline in the number of referees across various sports. From amateur leagues to professional competitions, the shortage of referees has become a pressing issue that threatens the future of sports. Intramural officials are essential.
One year ago, I wrote about a recent survey I had conducted to access intramural officiating levels related to the national shortage of sports officials. I will be presenting on that this week at the NIRSA Annual Conference in Phoenix with refreshed data from a follow-up questionnaire that was sent to 116 intramural programs nationally representing large schools, small schools, public and private to provide a sufficient snapshot of the current state of intramural sports officiating. Fifty-six schools completed the questionnaire with their intramural program’s information for 2022-2023 and 2023-2024 academic years.
Reasons for the Decline of Sports Officials Overall
Lack of Respect/Poor Treatment
One significant reason for the decline in referees is the increasing lack of respect and abuse they face from players, coaches and spectators. Verbal harassment, threats and even physical altercations have become all too common, leading many referees to reconsider their involvement in sports. Referees face immense pressure to make split-second decisions in high-stakes situations. The fear of making mistakes or facing backlash for unpopular calls can take a toll on their mental health and well-being. According to the National Association of Sports Officials, 57% of officials feel that sportsmanship is getting worse. Eight out of every 10 newly certified officials quit after two years or less. In fact, 58% of respondents indicated sportsmanship has a major impact on the number of officials in their intramural program.
Low Pay and Compensation
In many cases, referees are not adequately compensated for their time and effort. The pay for officiating games may not match the level of skill and responsibility required, discouraging individuals from pursuing refereeing as a viable advocation. The average rate of pay for an intramural official in 2024 was $12.25 per hour. Those numbers would be lower if not for several schools with a campus, city or state minimum wage much higher than $12.25 bringing the average up. However, nearly all the schools with higher pay rates also represent the minimum wage for that area. The highest number was $19.97, which seems high, but it’s the minimum wage for that community. The lowest number was $7.25, which is the federal minimum wage. Respondents indicated they are competing for students with higher paying jobs on and off campus where students don’t have to put up with verbal abuse.
Challenges Faced by Sport Officials
Training and Development
Proper training and ongoing development are essential for referees to stay updated on rule changes, improve their skills and manage complex game situations effectively. However, not all intramural programs, leagues or organizations provide adequate resources and support for officials’ training and development. Intramural programs are limited in the hours of training they can provide due to the small number of professional staff and support staff that are skilled enough to assist in officials training. Breaking it down by the numbers:
- 29% of respondents only have one professional staff member or graduate assistant assisting with intramural training.
- 55% have at least two to three staff members assisting with training, and only 16% had more than three staff members.
- 27% of respondents had zero high school certified officials helping with their officials training.
- 61% of respondents had at least one to three high school officials assisting, and only 9% had four or more high school officials assisting.
A student official receives six hours of training prior to working their first game and an average of two scrimmages or games prior to working intramural leagues. One program offered only two hours of training and zero scrimmages worked prior to putting officials out there for their first league games. Another school offers up to 12 hours of training and six scrimmage games before things get real in league games.
Recruitment and Retention
Recruiting and retaining new referees is a constant challenge for sports organizations — 72% of respondents indicated they have trouble recruiting and retaining officials into their intramural programs. Without a steady influx of new officials, the existing pool of referees becomes overworked and burnt out, further contributing to the decline in officiating.
Evaluating the national picture, the average age of a sport official is over 50 years old according to a 2022 survey of NFHS officials. Many experienced referees are retiring from officiating, and there is a lack of younger individuals prepared to step up to fill their shoes. High school and youth sports need young officials, and intramural programs have them. The generational gap further exacerbates the shortage of referees and threatens the sustainability of officiating in the long term. Actively recruiting and engaging with potential referees, particularly from underrepresented demographics, can help diversify the pool of officials and ensure the long-term sustainability of officiating. At Oklahoma State, we incentivize students to get certified as a sports official with the state by paying them an additional dollar per hour for their cert.
Education and Awareness
Promoting respect and appreciation for referees through education and awareness campaigns can help change the culture surrounding officiating. Emphasizing the importance of sportsmanship and fair play can encourage players, coaches, and spectators to treat referees with dignity and respect. Some respondents are amplifying the penalties to participants who receive unsporting fouls or ejections to further protect officials from abuse.
Improved Compensation
Increasing pay and providing better compensation packages for referees can make officiating a more attractive option for individuals looking to get involved in sports officiating. Fair compensation acknowledges the time, effort and expertise required to officiate games effectively. The average intramural official rate of pay increased by 6% in 2024. More work is needed to keep games from being canceled and leagues from being limited due to low officiating numbers. In the survey, 61% of respondents have increased their pay for intramural officials in the past year, and 39% of respondents did not adjust their pay. But$12.25 an hour simply isn’t good enough. Many programs will lose their better officials to local rec leagues that can pay more. Schools must be OK with investing more in our sport officials. Many programs are offering additional incentives such as making intramural participation free for their sport officials and providing referral bonuses for bringing in additional officials.
Mentorship and Support Programs
Establishing mentorship programs and support networks for referees can provide guidance, encouragement, and resources for new and experienced sports officials alike. Mentorship programs can pair novice referees with experienced mentors who can offer guidance, feedback and support throughout their officiating journey:
- 32% of intramural programs in the study indicated they partner with local officials associations to assist with their initial and on-going training of officials. Pairing newer officials with veteran officials is a fantastic way to shield the newer official and speed up the learning process for them.
- 16% of respondents have student officials associations affiliated with intramural programs as a way to connect young officials to additional officiating opportunities and training.
- 56% of respondents indicated they send intramural officials on their campus to NIRSA extramural tournaments which all include officiating training clinics as a part of the event to further their development and to bring knowledge back to campus.
In Conclusion:
As with any good story, this story/article has a happy ending. Sports officials numbers in intramural programs post-pandemic are on the rebound and in a significant way. From the fall of 2021 to the fall of 2024, the number of officials on average in an intramural program rose by 36%. The number of officials rose by 21% in the spring 2022 to the spring of 2023 — Spring 2024 was not included as the questionnaire was conducted in January 2024. As the national number of sports officials declines, intramural officiating numbers are going up. As Gandhi once said, “Be the change you hope to see in the world.” Intramural programs are developing students every day that can be part of the solution if they can just keep them in the game by implementing proactive solutions and fostering a culture of respect and support because without officials, it’s just recess.
