INDIANAPOLIS – Dean Blandino, formerly the senior vice president of officiating at the National Football League, has accepted the position of College Football Officiating, LLC’s director of instant replay, effective immediately. Blandino, who will continue his current role in broadcasting as a commentator, furthers a long-standing relationship with college football and specifically the functions of instant replay.
“Dean emerged as the best candidate from a talented group of people interested in helping shape the future of instant replay in college football,” said Jon Steinbrecher, commissioner of the Mid-American Conference and chair of the CFO Board of Managers. “His expertise and skills will help guide this important aspect of officiating.”
Blandino served the NFL in a variety of roles, starting his career in 1994. He was named the senior vice president of officiating in 2013 and served in that capacity until his departure in 2017 to join Fox Sports as an on-air rules analyst for NCAA and NFL broadcasts. Blandino has served as a clinician and educator during the CFO/NCAA national replay clinics over the past few years.
“I’m extremely excited to join the CFO and NCAA in this role,” Blandino said. “I’ve spent much of my career in the replay space and look forward to continuing to improve our processes and programming with the ultimate goal of efficient – and correct – outcomes.”
The position will be structured to focus on off-season development and educational duties, while allowing Blandino to continue his broadcasting role. For the 2018 season, the position begins immediately and will conclude at the end of August. Duties will start again in January 2019 until the start of the season.
“We are extremely fortunate to have Dean join CFO as our national director,” said Rogers Redding, CFO national coordinator of officials. “He has a wealth of experience with instant replay, and his gift for teaching will add immensely to our training of replay officials. Dean’s deep knowledge base will enable us to be very strategic moving forward. I am very excited about the opportunity to work with him.”
The CFO is made up of the 10 Division I Football Bowl Subdivision commissioners, two Football Championship Subdivision commissioners and two NCAA representatives. The CFO was established in 2008 to manage Division I football officiating initiatives on a national scale.
