HADDONFIELD, N.J. - The Atlantic East Conference is celebrating "Officials' Appreciation Week" along with all other Division III and Division II conferences throughout the 2026-2027 academic year. This initiative was adopted by the Division III Commissioners Association (DIIICA) to recognize and thank conference officials across all sports.

Officials' Appreciation Week will be celebrated during the fall, winter and spring sport seasons. To kick off the year, the fall celebration will take place from October 4th – October 10th followed by January 17th – 23rd for winter and April 4th – April 10th for spring. 

The commitment of the Atlantic East Conference officials and referees to safe, fair and competitive contests is a critical part of the student-athlete experience. For more information, head to the Say Yes to Officiating X Stay in the Game website.

The Stay In The Game program is designed to encourage graduating and upperclassman NCAA Division III athletes to consider transitioning into officiating — and to guide them through their first steps. Your role is to start the conversation and use these tools to make officiating feel like a natural next step in their athletic journey. Through the Stay In The Game program, former D III athletes get paired with a mentor and introduced to officiating from the ground up. Led by their mentor, they will be offered help as they start officiating youth or high school games to build skills and confidence.

Officials' Appreciation Week is one of numerous initiatives that are being implemented as part of the Division III Commissioners Association (DIIICA) Strategic Plan for Collegiate Officiating that was created as a result of the DIIICA's Strategic Analysis of the State of Collegiate Officiating. In conjunction with the NCAA and the National Association of Sports Officials (NASO), there is an urgent need for sports officials, if interested please visit the NCAA's Say Yes to Officiating platform to learn more.