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2007 SEASON PREVIEW: AUGUST 25, 2007

At Home, Notre Dame Will Use Mid-American Officials

By Paul Smith / smith@collegeblitz.com

Chesterton, Ind. » The massive, graduation-induced personnel changes in Notre Dame's football team won't be the only differences as Notre Dame takes the field Sept. 1 against Georgia Tech in South Bend.

A rumor long bounced around the Fighting Irish football community will apparently become reality this fall — no more Big Ten officials at Notre Dame home games. This fall, the Irish will use Mid-American Conference referees.

"It's been out there for a while, that (head coach Charlie Weis) wasn't too happy with the Big Ten refs," one highly-placed Domer said. "There was a lot of discontent over the years."

There is enough in-conference discontent with Big Ten officials, centering on incompetence, officating crews and faulty judgement calls, so it comes as no surprise that Notre Dame's football people saw the same thing.

Most noticeably Weis, who was shown on a major network show last fall dropping a few choice opinions on the men in stripes that tested the agility of some of the folks manning the seven-second buttons.

"I think it's better for all parties concerned," the alumnus said.

Probably a good bit better for Weis' blood pressure, too.

In Memoriam

The college football community lost a dear friend this offseason. Jerry Kellar, who covered Penn State for the Wilkes-Barre Times-Leader, passed away in May at age 46. Jerry, a former lineman at Temple, was a giant in the press box and media room — both in his physical stature and his metaphysical presence. (Read More)

Coast Watcher

10.09 | Southern Cal Feels Aftershocks from Stanford

10.04 | U.S.C. Escapes Upset

09.28 | Monday Morning Signals

09.13 | Overconfidence Worries Dorrell As UCLA Tackles Utah

09.01 | Pac-10 Makes Case

The Coast Watcher, John Scheibe, is the author of the new book "On the Road With Jim Murray: Baseball and the Summer of '79," which is available at Barnes and Noble stores and online at amazon.com and bn.com. Visit the book’s official website.

Paul Smith | Midwest

10.09 | Purdue’s Test Fails
to Challenge Ohio State

10.04 | The Top 25 is a Mad, Mad, Mad World

09.28 | Buckeyes Open Big Ten With a Blast of Northwestern

09.20 | Michigan Puts Notre Dame to Shame (and 0-3)

09.13 | Land of Maise & Misery

09.13 | Buckeyes Rally From
2-0 Deficit Against Akron

09.08 | PSU-ND Preview

09.01 | Upset in Ann Arbor

08.31 | News and Notes

08.31 | Irish to End Rivalries With Purdue, Mich. State

08.24 | Preview: Ohio State

08.24 | Preview: Notre Dame

08.24 | Notre Dame to Use MAC Officials at Home