If you followed the BYU -San Diego State bloodfeud that erupted in the wake of a pair of BYU alumni working the replay booth for a critical BYU game, you'd think more conferences would be doing more to make sure similar conflicts of interests wouldn't be taking place in their leagues. And that goes double when you're talking about BCS conferences -- with that kind of money at stake and that level of media and fan interest, you'd think any potential allegations of impropriety would be nipped in the proverbial bud.
You would think that, anyway. But the Pac-10 is here to tell you you are thinking so, so wrong :
Nothing is more disconcerting, however, than a Pac-10 policy that allows its officials to work games that feature their alma mater ..Fogltance is almost certainly a respectable, honorable man who does his very best to remain as objective as possible in the heat of the late-game decision-making process. But the idea that he could wield that kind of influence over a game in which he has a vested interest in one side's success is simply outrageous. The Pac-10 should move immediately to change the policy and forbid alums or other school-affiliated officials from working their school's games. The integrity of the conference's officials has to be beyond question, or the league is just begging for a blowup that would make the BYU-SDSU brouhaha look like a third-grade cafeteria squabble.The issue came to light during the Arizona-Oregon State game in October when several instant-replay reviews went against the Beavers.
Oregon State fans were livid to learn the replay official was Jim Fogltance, a former Pac-10 football crew chief who also is an Arizona graduate.
He apparently is a donor, too.
A check of the school's website Wednesday showed someone named "James Fogltance" listed as a member of the Wildcat Club's "Bear Down Circle," which requires an athletic department donation of $500.
If there's any bright spot here, it's that after that game in October, there would be no way the Pac-10 would allow Fogltance to work another Arizona game. Surely, surely, all that is fair and just in this world demands that ...
Pac-10 documentation shows Fogltance is scheduled to work the replay booth when Arizona State and Arizona meet on Dec. 2 in Tucson.
HT: GTP .
