General | 10/6/2026 10:07:12 AM
The Empire 8 Conference is celebrating “Officials’ Appreciation Week” along with all other Division III conferences throughout the 2026-2027 academic year. This year marks the fifth year of this initiative adopted by the Division III Commissioners Association (DIIICA) to recognize and thank conference officials across all sports.
Officials’ Appreciation Week will be celebrated during the fall, winter and spring sport seasons. To kick off the year, the fall celebration will take place from October 4–October 10 followed by January 10–January 16 for winter and April 4–April 10 for spring.
The commitment of Empire 8 officials and referees to safe, fair and competitive contests is a critical part of the student-athlete experience.
"We are incredibly grateful for our officials' dedication to our student-athletes and coaches and the crucial role they play in the Empire 8,” said Empire 8 Executive Director Chuck Mitrano. “Being an official is extremely difficult and we are fortunate to have a great group of committed, fair, hard-working officials and Supervisors of Officials. In addition to time spent traveling and working our games, they spend countless hours in the off-season attending camps, clinics and watching film to refine their skills."
Officials’ Appreciation Week is one of numerous initiatives that are being implemented as part of the
Division III Commissioners Association (DIIICA) Strategic Plan for Collegiate Officiating that was created as a result of the
DIIICA’s Strategic Analysis of the State of Collegiate Officiating. In conjunction with the NCAA and the National Association of Sports Officials (NASO), there is an urgent need for sports officials, if interested please visit the NCAA’s
Say Yes to Officiating platform to learn more.