COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – The Mountain West has partnered with Officially Human for the 2024-2025 season. Officially Human’s foundational goal is to improve the retention of sports officials and restore respect to game officials and recognize them as authorities on the fields and courts.

“As their name points out, officials are human too and deserve treated with respect,” said MW Commissioner Gloria Nevarez. “If we want these talented individuals to continue serving in this integral role within college sports, we must do our part to create an atmosphere that emphasizes the importance of respect, no matter what side of the call you are on. Officials are central to the health and safety of student-athletes and to the integrity of the game. Sportsmanship is a core value for the Mountain West, and we believe it is essential to weave that value into all facets of Mountain West competition.”

Officially Human was founded in 2019 by Brenda Hilton, who spent the last 22-plus years working in collegiate officiating, collaborating closely with the assignors and the officials at the highest level of Division I men’s basketball and football. Officially Human exists to restore respect to, and positive treatment of, sport officials through increased education and communication to all stakeholders (administrators, coaches, and fans).

Current treatment of officials is affecting the profession, as older officials are not being replaced by the younger generation. Fifty percent of officials are at least 55 years old, and just 12 percent are under 34 years old.

More than half of officials rank verbal abuse from fans, coaches, and parents as the No. 1 reason why officials quit.

Officially Human will provide an educational content kit to the Mountain West and its membership that promotes respectful treatment of officials in all sports. The MW will play those videos during its championships and make those materials available to its member institutions for use during the regular season.

Officially Human has also partnered with the NBA, NCAA, RefQuest and several collegiate conferences.

About Officially Human
Based in Lombard, Illinois, Officially Human was founded to restore respect to, and positive treatment of, sport officials through increased education and communication to all stakeholders (administrators, coaches, athletes, and fans). Founded in 2019, Officially Human is the leader in addressing the growing crisis in officiating that touches every sport, official, and level of competition. Officially Human offers tailored solutions to athletic host organizations of all sizes that improve the stakeholder experience at each of their sporting competitions. The comprehensive solutions package includes digital education, awareness building, event host communication strategies, and organizational support in addressing poor fan behavior. To learn more about Officially Human, visit OfficiallyHuman.com.

About the Mountain West
From its inception in 1999, the Mountain West has been committed to excellence in intercollegiate athletics while promoting the academic missions of its member institutions. Now in its 26th season, the Mountain West membership is comprised of 11 all-sport members: the United States Air Force Academy, Boise State University, Colorado State University, Fresno State, University of Nevada, University of New Mexico, San Diego State University, San Jose State University, UNLV, Utah State University and University of Wyoming. In addition, the University of Hawai‘i and Colorado College participate in the Mountain West as single-sport members in football and women’s soccer, respectively, and Washington State University participates in the Mountain West in women’s swimming and baseball. For more information, visit TheMW.com.

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