MAAC Joins Officiating Alliance, Welcomes Michael Stephens as Coordinator of Men’s Basketball Officials
EDISON, NJ (July 19, 2021) – The Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) announced today the conference’s transition into the Men’s Basketball Officiating Alliance.
The Alliance, founded by the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) and Big East Conference, is a collaboration between several collegiate conferences, including the Atlantic 10 Conference, Colonial Athletic Association (CAA), Big South Conference, Ivy League, Patriot League, Northeast Conference (NEC), Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC), America East Conference, and Northeast-10 Conference.
“The MAAC membership is excited to become a member of the Alliance, which is well regarded in basketball circles for the high-level officials which it assigns to some of the top-level basketball conferences in the country,” said MAAC Commissioner Rich Ensor. “I view it as a Route 95 corridor of conferences sharing a high level of expertise, training, and assigning services for their member schools.”
The Alliance provides collaborative management and shared oversight, resulting in more uniform teaching, development, and feedback, while also providing a strong inventory of games to attract and retain top-tier officials. In addition, the Alliance utilizes state-of-the-art technology for development and training of officials.
“As the basketball committee discussed the future of its officiating alignment, it became evident that being a part of the Alliance would be a natural fit,” noted John D'Argenio, Director of Athletics for Siena College. “The MAAC and its member schools have a deep and positive history with the conferences in the Alliance, its leadership, and with its groups of officials.”
With the MAAC’s transition into the Officiating Alliance, the conference has named Michael Stephens as Coordinator of Men’s Basketball Officials. Under his role, Stephens will be responsible for the assigning of all Men’s Basketball officials as well as the education, recruitment, and training of officials.
“Having Mike Stephens agree to become the MAAC’s Coordinator of Officials brings a fresh view of what is expected of game officials working in NCAA Division I Basketball,” noted Ensor. “His on-court knowledge and familiarity with the technology that now is intertwined in game management, post-game analysis, and review of officiating will work well with the coaches with whom he needs to partner with and grow the game.”
“I want to thank the MAAC for giving me an opportunity to further my passion for college basketball,” Stephens said. “The objective of job is simple: To make the MAAC the best officiated league in college basketball. I will work tirelessly to build the best staff I can by combining the best veteran officials with the best up-and-coming officials. I am looking forward to a long-term relationship between the MAAC and myself.”
Stephens’ extensive career began in 2000 after being selected by the America East as a game official. In the two decades since, he has found himself officiating for a number of NCAA Division I conferences, including the Big East, Big 12, ACC, SEC, Atlantic 10, Patriot League, Ivy League, and the MAAC. In 2011, he was assigned to his first NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Final Four officiating crew. It wasn’t long after that he would get the opportunity to officiate his first NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball National Championship game, getting the call in 2015. Between 2011-2019, Stephens officiated in three Final Four games (2011, 2014, 2018) and four National Championship games (2015, 2016, 2018, 2019).
Along with opportunities to officiate in college basketball’s biggest games, Stephens has been the recipient of multiple honors for his distinguished career. In 2015, he was presented the key to his hometown of Providence, RI by Mayor Jorge Elorza. In 2016, he was recognized with the Steve Bamford Award, which is presented to a basketball official, coordinator, or assignor from the Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) who has made significant contributions and provided outstanding service to the conference’s officiating bureau.
“Mike's reputation as a game official is outstanding, which has as much to do with how he communicates as it does with his decision during a game,” said D'Argenio. “That skill will make him an outstanding supervisor.”
“Mike has done several of our MAAC games throughout the years,” noted Kevin Baggett, head coach of the Rider University men’s basketball team. “I thought he was a great communicator, fair, and consistent with his calls. Mike will bring those same attributes as our league assigner to continue to uphold the integrity of not only the game, but our officials, coaches, and the student-athletes within our conference.”
In addition to his responsibilities with the MAAC and America East, Stephens is the Supervisor of Men’s Basketball Officials for the Northeast-10, a position he has held since 2011. Outside of his work in officiating, Stephens is the Director of Recreation for the city of Providence.
About the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference
With 11 institutions strongly bound by the sound principles of quality and integrity in academics and excellence in athletics, the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) is in its 41st year of competition during the 2021-22 academic year. Current conference members include: Canisius College, Fairfield University, Iona College, Manhattan College, Marist College, Monmouth University, Niagara University, Quinnipiac University, Rider University, Saint Peter’s University, and Siena College.