The Troy Trojans will face the James Madison Dukes on Friday, Dec. 5, at 7 p.m. ET at Bridgeforth Stadium in Harrisonburg, Virginia, for the 2025 Sun Belt Championship. Troy enters the matchup looking to capture its league-best ninth conference title, while JMU seeks its first-ever Sun Belt crown after previously winning the East Division in 2022 and 2023 under former coach Curt Cignetti. The Dukes head into the championship game as a heavy, 23.5 favorite.

The showdown carries added significance as it marks the final game for JMU head coach Bob Chesney, who has accepted the head coaching job at UCLA. Ahead of the highly anticipated title clash, Tim Barker has been announced as the game’s referee. Here’s everything you need to know about Barker: his background, his officiating career, and why his appointment matters.

Who is Troy vs. JMU referee, Tim Barker?

Tim Barker (Timothy Barker) is named as the official for the 2025 Credit Union 1 Sun Belt Conference Football Championship Game held between the Troy Trojans and James Madison Dukes. Barker has served as a referee in the Sun Belt Conference since 2024.

He has previously worked for the Ivy and Patriot League games before joining the Sun Belt conference, and is known for his accurate decision-making. A respected member of the Football Officials Association, Barker is admired among fellow referees and has become a role model for aspiring officials. One fan wrote in 2024,

“Is Tim Barker a Sun Belt referee now? I saw a few of his Ivy and Patriot League games last season, and I was impressed.”

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Tim Barker’s early life & family

Tim Barker is from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He earned his bachelor’s degree at PennWest Edinboro and his Master of Business Administration and Management at La Roche University. He is a member of the Greater Pittsburgh Football Officials Association. He is a representative of the Tri-State- Mountain East Conference (MEC), the Great Midwest Athletic Conference (GMAC) of Division II, and the Presidents’ Athletic Conference (PAC) Division III conferences.

He is married to Abby Barker, and they have three kids together, two sons and one daughter. He kept his personal life private, so there is no reliable information about his family.

Tim Barker’s career

There is no official information about when he started his football official career. However, based on the public information, he has been officiating college football games for at least eleven years in the NCAA Division II and Division III games. He got highly recognized for officiating the 2024 Hawaii Bowl, played between the South Florida Bulls from the American Conference and the San Jose State Spartans from the Mountain West Conference, in Honolulu, Hawaii. He has been officiating Sun Belt Games for the past two years, for numerous games as the primary referee, and is expected to provide solid officiating on the field.