Suffolk sports officials reach agreement on new contract with Section XI
Suffolk County's Section XI and its referees have a deal after their contract expired on June 30, 2023. Credit: Getty Images
The President’s Council of Suffolk County Officials voted Wednesday night to ratify a new contract between Section XI, the governing body of scholastic sports in Suffolk County, and its referees for the upcoming season.
The three-year agreement between the officials and Section XI will call for incremental raises of $3 per game in the first year and $5 per game in the second and third years for all sports.
Tom Combs, the executive director of Section XI, said he was satisfied that there is an agreement but disappointed that it took such a long time.
“We can finally get to work on our schedules, which begin Monday,” Combs said. “It’s good that we’re going to have officials and it’s not going to affect the student-athletes. That was our main concern. We did not want to delay or jeopardize the fall season in any way."
The agreement also calls for an additional pay increase for officials in boys and girls volleyball, boys and girls swimming, boys and girls fencing, and field hockey, which will put them on par with the other sports. The rules interpreter in each sport will also have a pay increase.
“The officials wanted parity for all sports and we agreed for a bigger increase in seven of the sports,” Combs said.
The contract will have volleyball officials see an increase from $120 to $134 per event, fencing from $117 to $134, field hockey from $126 to $134 and swimming from $122 to $134.
The Suffolk high school season opens with non-league games in boys and girls volleyball, boys and girls soccer, and field hockey on Monday.
“The Suffolk County Sports officials have successfully reached an agreement with Section XI to resolve the contractual impasse,” said Marc A. Negrin, the president of the Suffolk County Football Officials Association. “While the agreement does not address all of the officials' concerns, it does represent the officials' commitment to the development, growth and success of our student-athletes.”
The lack of an agreement had forced the two sides into a fact finding, mediation process. The previous five-year contract, which went into effect on July 1, 2018, expired on June 30.
The cost for officials in 2022-23 was $3.3 million in Suffolk and that number will grow to approximately $3.6 million for the 2023-24 school year. Combs has said that more than 1,300 officials work in Suffolk through the school year.
“The pay rate in the contract is commensurate with our expectations of quality officiating and growth of the officials organizations to provide the student-athletes of Section XI with the best game experience possible,” Combs said. “Due to the late availability of officials, it’ll be yeoman’s work to get the season up and running Monday. The Section XI staff will do whatever it takes to get the games covered by certified officials.”
Under the previous contract, referees and umpires for varsity baseball, softball, soccer, basketball, lacrosse and gymnastics made $131 per event last season. Varsity football officials made $134 per game, and varsity wrestling referees were paid $139 last season.
“We fully understand the immense dedication and effort that student-athletes invest in their chosen sports,” Negrin said. “We look forward to officiating the contests in Suffolk County and playing our part in the development and achievements of its exceptional student-athletes. With the contractual impasse now behind us, the officials will focus their attention to what truly matters — the student-athletes who inspire us each day.”
Gregg Sarra is Newsday's high school sports editor and has been on the beat since the mid-1980s.
