SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. – The Big Sky, Big West, Western Athletic, and West Coast Conferences will join the Big 12 and Missouri Valley men’s basketball officiating consortium, forming the Collegiate Officiating Consortium- MBB (COC-MBB).
 
Additionally, the COC-MBB will continue to partner with other power conferences for collaborative officiating efforts in shared regions.
 
These additions will create a deep officiating pool of the top basketball officials in the country. Additionally, the COC-MBB will create a robust and diverse pipeline for the development of officials through extensive training and education. The COC-MBB will also introduce travel efficiencies for officials, affording them the opportunity to work multiple games in the same region.
 
Nine-time Final Four veteran John Higgins, who spent 35 years as an on-court official, will serve as the Coordinator of Officials for the COC-MBB. Higgins brings decades of leadership experience, and has officiated 29 NCAA Tournaments, nearly 60 conference tournaments and 40 league title games at the Division I level. Most recently, Higgins was the Coordinator of Officials for the Western Basketball Officiating Consortium.
 
“I appreciate the leadership of John Higgins in spearheading this move to join the Collegiate Officiating Consortium – MBB and be a collaborative partner in one of the most expansive officiating consortiums in men’s college basketball,” WCC Commissioner Stu Jackson said. “The WCC is well positioned to gain access to a robust group of quality officials as part of the COC-MBB under John’s leadership.”
 
The WCC will join the COC-MBB beginning with the 2024-25 season, after previously being a member of the Western Basketball Officiating Consortium (WBOC). The WBOC encompassed the western United States and also included the Big Sky, Big West, Mountain West, Pac-12 and Western Athletic Conferences.