FARMINGTON, Utah – The Big Sky Conference announced today its partnership with Officially Human, an organization whose mission is to “restore respect to game officials and recognize them as authorities on the fields and courts.”
“The Big Sky Conference is proud to partner with Officially Human and bring awareness to a growing trend for which we are eager to help effect change,” Big Sky Commissioner Tom Wistrcill said. “True to our league’s mantra, we want to elevate the experience for all involved in Big Sky athletics, and this certainly includes our dedicated officials.”
Officially Human was founded by Brenda Hilton, who has spent over 20 years in college athletics working with sports officials from the mid-majors to the highest level of Division I.
“I’m thrilled to partner with Commissioner Wistrcill and his great team at The Big Sky Conference,” said Officially Human CEO Brenda Hilton. “We look forward to working with the Conference and their membership to raise awareness of the treatment of officials and further recognize the importance of the role officials play in the games we all love.”
The Lombard, Illinois-based organization was founded in 2019 to restore respect to, and positive treatment of, sport officials through increased education and communication to all stakeholders (administrators, coaches, athletes, and fans). Officially Human is the leader in addressing the growing crisis in officiating that touches every sport, official, and level of competition.
All Big Sky schools will play a specialized PSA on their football videoboards this season during home contests, which promotes respect and decorum for game officials. Additionally, the league office will announce further collaborations with Officially Human at all 15 of its conference championships at a later date.
Follow the Big Sky Conference (@BigSkyConf) on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Threads, Blue Sky, and TikTok for all the latest news around the league and use the hashtag #ExperienceElevated.
About Officially Human
Based in Lombard, IL, 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 Big Sky Conference
Founded in 1963, the Big Sky Conference is a NCAA Division I conference competing in the Football Championship Subdivision. With nearly 150 teams representing 12 institutions in 16 sports (seven men’s, nine women’s), the Big Sky prides itself on its “#ExperienceElevated” platform that emphasizes the unique traits and lifelong benefits that the conference and its member institutions provide to around 3,300 student-athletes each year.
The conference has 10 full members (Eastern Washington University; the University of Idaho; Idaho State University; the University of Montana; Montana State University; Northern Arizona University; the University of Northern Colorado; Portland State University; California State University, Sacramento; and Weber State University) located in eight states across the western United States, plus two football affiliate members (California Polytechnic State University and the University of California, Davis). Conference members have won 13 NCAA championships, including seven in football by five different members as well as six of the last seven Division I men’s cross country titles by NAU.
