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Insane Graphic About NCAA Referee’s Travel Schedule Shows Just How Serious the Refereeing Crisis Is

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A lot has been made about the quality, or lack there of, of referees for professional and college sports of late.

Perhaps the biggest incidents took place in a pair of marquee games in the NBA and NFL over the weekend.

NBA referees got lambasted for missing a call late in a Boston Celtics victory over the Los Angeles Lakers that would have sent LeBron James to the free throw line with a chance to win the game. They later apologized for that mistake.

Meanwhile, NFL refs came under fire for a number of calls and non-calls in the AFC Championship Game. Bengals fans felt referees missed a critical holding call on Kansas City late in the contest.

While they also believe a block in the back call could have been made on a pivotal Chiefs punt return just minutes prior.

But ultimately it was a third-quarter first down call on a catch by Kansas City receiver Marquez Valdes-Scantling that caught the most heat.

Insane Travel Schedule Shows Just How Rough The Refereeing Crisis Is In Sports

Fans certainly have a right to ask for more consistency from referees. But it’s a remarkably difficult job as well. Which is why the top referees around the country are in such high demand.

Just ask college basketball referee John Higgins.

Higgins is widely regarded as one of if not thee top college hoops referee in the country. Which is why he’s regularly tasked with officiating the top games. But in order to do so, he has to maintain a crazy travel schedule.

Just look at this graphic from an ESPN broadcast on Monday night.

The graphic shows that Higgins traveled to six cities in seven days for games from one coast of the country to the other.

It’s a testament to his ability. But it’s also extremely unsustainable, and fans agree.

The refereeing crisis in sports is very real. And it’s only going to get worse if we don’t scare cutting officials some slack.