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Big Ten Conference recruits women and minorities at spring event

The Big 10 conference held a spring clinic to focus on diversity, equity and inclusion in officiating.

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The Big Ten Conference held a clinic in April and invited women and people of color to learn more about being an official in one of college football’s biggest conferences. The focus of the clinic was to highlight efforts of diversity, equity and inclusion.

Former NFL referee and current Big Ten Coordinator of Football Officials, Bill Carollo, spoke at the clinic as did current and former NFL officials Shawn Smith, Byron Boston and Sarah Thomas.

While attendees heard several positive and encouraging messages about college football officiating, the talk from Big Ten Commissioner Kevin Warren on the topic of the “dream chuckle” can be applied to everyone in all walks of life.

Courtesy of the Big Ten Network, here are highlights of the spring clinic.

Mark Schultz is a high school football official, freelance writer and journalist. He first became interested in officiating when he was six years old, was watching a NFL game with his father and asked the fateful question, "Dad, what are those guys in the striped shirts doing?"

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