Referee’s raised hand goes unnoticed at NCAA meeting

NEW YORK — Mark McAnany, a referee who later served as a back judge during Friday night’s Louisville-Connecticut game, failed to get the attention of instructor Joe Brinkman during a mandatory NCAA football officials meeting Friday morning. About two minutes into the second half of the meeting, McAnany waived his hand one time for 2-3 seconds but Brinkman refused to call on him.

After the meeting, Brinkman apologized and said he simply didn’t notice the hand being raised, while McAnany didn’t seem too upset about it.

“I really just wanted to ask him about the dynamics of the fair catch motion,” said McAnany, who recently petitioned the NCAA Rule Committee to ensure officiating hirings comply with the American Disabilities Act. “I went with the single wave because I was in front (of the room) and figured he’d easily see me. Once you go with multiple waves, you just start to look obnoxious. He obviously didn’t see my hand. No big deal.”

McAnany was also an official during the 2005 Louisville-West Virginia game.

It’s going to be tough for this sport to sweep any nations, but it’s still pretty frickin’ cool!