The man who has had an immense impact on the rules shaping every single down of college football since 2017 is finally moving on, as the game prepares for a future without him.

The NCAA announced that the top supervisor of college football officials and leading expert in rules interpretation and implementation, Steve Shaw, will retire on September 1. Shaw has overseen games and has served as the NCAA’s secretary-rules editor for football since 2017. He was also named the national coordinator of football officials in March 2020. Now, as Shaw moves on, he has expressed his emotions about leaving the role.

“It has been the honor of a lifetime to serve and work in college football,” Shaw said. “The relationships and friendships with commissioners, coaches, players, media, and most of all my fellow officials are the memories I will always cherish.

“There are many issues and challenges for college football today. But on the field between the lines, we have a masterpiece of a game. I look forward to working hard through the summer, supporting everyone as we get ready for a great 2026 season and then look ahead to starting my next chapter.”

Even Jon Steinbrecher, commissioner of the Mid-American Conference and chair of the College Football Officiating LLC, noted Shaw’s contribution to college football.

“Steve has provided a steady hand and leadership in our national officiating efforts that have helped modernize many areas,” he said. “His commitment to excellence, transparency, and integrity in officiating is second to none. I join my fellow commissioners and the college football community in thanking Steve for his considerable contributions.”

For nine years, as the secretary-rules editor of the NCAA Football Rules Committee, Shaw helped create and improve the rules and policies used in games. His job was very important in shaping how the game is played.

As the national coordinator, he focused on ensuring that all referees followed the same methods so that officiating remained consistent in every game. He also worked to help fans better understand the rules by making weekly videos and speaking to the media, where he explained decisions and how officiating works.

Before taking big national roles, Shaw worked as the coordinator of football officials in the Southeastern Conference in 2011. Then, in 2014, he took on the same role in the Sun Belt Conference. He handled both positions simultaneously and led a combined program for the two conferences. After that, he moved into higher administrative roles in college football. But even before becoming an administrator, he had already built a strong reputation in the field.

He worked as a referee for 22 years and was considered one of the top officials in college football. During this time, he spent 15 years officiating in the SEC and six years at the Division II level, gaining a lot of experience. Shaw officiated the BCS Championship Game in 2000, when Virginia Tech played Florida State, and again in 2005, when Southern California played Oklahoma.

On top of that, he also worked six other BCS bowl games, including three Rose Bowls (2003, 2009, 2011), two Fiesta Bowls (2006, 2008), and the 2010 Orange Bowl. Along with this, he was chosen to officiate four SEC championship games, showing how trusted and experienced he was.

But that’s just a small part of his contribution to sports.

Steve Shaw’s work towards bringing in developed technology

The University of Alabama graduate was always keen on new changes. He also pushed things forward when it came to technology, as he believed in keeping up with the times. Shaw helped improve how video is used to review and train referees, making it easier to spot mistakes and learn from them. He also helped introduce a wireless communication system for referee teams, which is now widely used in most top-level college football conferences.

Later, in his national role, the Tuscaloosa native became the chairman of the Collegiate Commissioners Association National Mechanics Committee, starting in 2011. This was an important leadership role where he helped improve how referees worked during games. In this role, his committee made major changes to the CCA manual and also introduced the first proper system for games that use eight referees on the field.

They also combined everything into one manual, which included instructions for eight-, seven-, and six-official crews, so all referees could learn and follow the same system. As a result, Shaw not only worked major games but also helped improve rules, training, and the overall system of officiating in college football.