DURHAM, N.C. (August 20, 2026)– The Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA®) recently welcomed its football officiating crews to Durham, North Carolina, for the 2026 CIAA Fall Football Officials Clinic and Awards Banquet, an annual professional development and training opportunity designed to prepare officials for the upcoming football season while recognizing the accomplishments and service of its officiating community.
The clinic brought together CIAA football officials for focused instruction, rules education, simulations, film review and collaborative training. Throughout the clinic, officials reviewed NCAA football rules and changes for the 2026 season, worked through game scenarios, and strengthened the mechanics, communication and decision making necessary to effectively officiate CIAA football contests.
With more than 35 years of affiliation with the CIAA Football Officials Association, CIAA Coordinator of Football Officials Donnell Leathers brings decades of experience and leadership to the conference’s officiating program. Under his leadership, the clinic emphasizes continuous learning, accountability and consistency. The overall mission is to ensure officials study and become comfortable with the rules, mechanics and materials necessary to confidently perform their duties throughout the season.
“Our focus is making sure our officials are prepared, confident and consistent every time they take the field,” said Leathers. “We are extremely proud of what this group has accomplished, from postseason assignments and our historic all-female crew to the years of service represented within our association. This clinic allows us to celebrate those successes while continuing to raise the standard for the 2026 season.
Leathers is supported in the conference’s officiating efforts by CIAA Deputy Commissioner Eddie Weatherington and CIAA Associate Commissioner Harrington Smith, as the CIAA continues to invest in the development, education and advancement of its football officials.
“The CIAA Fall Football Officials Clinic and Awards Banquet serves as both an ending and a beginning,” said Weatherington. “Our officials have spent the spring and summer participating in camps and clinics, and this gathering brings that preparation together while allowing us to celebrate fellowship, longevity and outstanding performances. Under Coordinator Donnell Leathers’ leadership, a carefully assembled team of clinicians representing every level of officiating, from high school to the NFL, provides instruction and guidance to our field officials, neutral observers and game graders as they prepare to receive their assignments and begin the 2026 season.”
Celebrating Excellence and Breaking Barriers
The clinic also provided an opportunity for the CIAA to reflect on significant accomplishments from the previous season that demonstrated the continued growth and strength of its football officiating program.
Several CIAA officials earned opportunities to represent the conference in postseason competition, an achievement that reflects their individual performance and the quality of officiating being developed throughout the conference. Postseason assignments serve as recognition of the preparation, consistency and professionalism demonstrated by officials throughout the season.
The CIAA also celebrated a historic milestone with the use of an all-female football officiating crew during the season. The assignment marked an important moment for the conference and highlighted the talented women continuing to excel within football officiating while helping create greater visibility and opportunities for women within the profession.
Together, these accomplishments represent a source of tremendous pride for the CIAA football officiating community and demonstrate the conference’s commitment to developing officials capable of advancing and representing the CIAA on larger stages.
Honoring Service and Commitment to CIAA Football
As part of the Awards Banquet, the CIAA also celebrated officials whose years of dedicated service have contributed to the tradition and continued success of CIAA football officiating.
10 Years of Service
Richard Chadwell
Raymond Dobson
Darryl Ferguson
Brett Hoffman
Dave Hoover
Timothy Rittman
Jay Walker
15 Years of Service
John Holmes
Mickey Horton
Frank Trevino
20 Years of Service
Cornell Royster
50 Years of Service
Vierl Banks
Banks’ remarkable 50 years of service represents a significant milestone and reflects a lifetime of dedication to officiating and the game of football.
Beyond managing competition on game day, CIAA officials are students of the game who dedicate significant time throughout the year to studying rules, refining mechanics, maintaining physical readiness and preparing for the situations they will encounter each week.
As the CIAA prepares to kick off the 2026 football season, the Fall Football Officials Clinic and Awards Banquet reinforces the conference’s commitment to ensuring its officiating crews enter the season prepared, knowledgeable and confident while also recognizing the individuals whose dedication continues to elevate CIAA football.
Media Contact:
Anna M. Butzlaff | abutzlaff@theciaa.com
Associate Commissioner, Strategic Communications
Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA)
About the CIAA
Founded in 1912, the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA) is the first, and longest running, African American athletic conference in the U.S. and one of the most recognized conferences in Division II. The CIAA conducts 14 championships attended by more than 150,000 fans from around the country. The Basketball Tournament has been honored as a 2019 Champion of Economic Impact in Sports Tourism by Sports Destination Management, the leading publication with the largest circulation of sports event planners and tournament directors in the sports tourism market, for both 2018 and 2019.
Headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina, the CIAA is governed by the Presidents and Chancellors of its 12 member institutions: Bowie State University, Bluefield State University, Claflin University, Elizabeth City State University, Fayetteville State University, Johnson C. Smith University, Lincoln University of Pennsylvania, Livingstone College, Shaw University, Virginia State University, Virginia Union University, and Winston-Salem State University.
For more information on the CIAA, visit theciaa.com and follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok.