BETHLEHEM, Pa. – Jeffrey Akers was named the Supervisor of Football Officials for the Patriot League and Ivy League when the joint announcement was made on Thursday. Akers will serve in the role and work with the seven-conference officiating alliance that includes the American Athletic Conference (AAC), Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC), Big South, Colonial Athletic Association (CAA), Northeast Conference (NEC), Ivy and Patriot Leagues as well as several NCAA Division I schools (Army West Point, Connecticut, Marist, Massachusetts and Notre Dame.
In his new role, Akers will assign officials for the Patriot League and Ivy League in addition to working with League coaches and institutions to evaluate game performances on a weekly basis during the season and communicate rules changes and interpretations. He will also be tasked with coordinating educational opportunities for officials and coaches on the intricacies of collegiate officiating.
“Jeffrey has a wealth of on-field officiating experience and brings an excellent reputation through his years of service,” Patriot League Commissioner Jennifer Heppel said. “He comes highly recommended from across the collegiate football landscape and brings unique administrative experience that will make him an outstanding resource for our member football programs and an asset for our Leagues.”
Akers has served as an on-field official for 33 years, including 27 seasons of collegiate experience with 15 years in the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) and six seasons in the Football Championship Subdivision (FCS), including two seasons with the Patriot and Ivy Leagues. He also worked for six seasons with the Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC). He has been a member of the officiating crew for a 2003 FCS Playoff game, the 2018 AAC Championship Game, and nine bowl games between 2010 and 2020. Akers won the Association of New England Football Officials (ANEFO) Centennial Award in 2019, and received the 2012 Joseph V. McKenney Award for the top collegiate football official from the Gridiron Club of Greater Boston.
“I am extremely honored and humbled for this opportunity to join the Ivy and Patriot Leagues as the Supervisor of Football Officials,” Akers said. “I share the values of both Leagues in helping develop student-athletes into the leaders of tomorrow and look forward to working with them, administrators and coaches to ensure that the football officiating program continues to meet high standards.”
Off the field, Akers retired after 35 years as a Regional Supervisor with the Massachusetts Probation Service. Akers was a three-year letterman on the football team at the University of Michigan where he was part of the Wolverines’ 1986 Fiesta Bowl Champion squad. Akers also competed for the Wolverines in the 1984 Sugar Bowl and the 1983 Rose Bowl. He graduated from the University of Michigan in 1986 with his BA in sports management and communications
Akers replaces Jeff Cooney, who retired from his position as Supervisor of Football Officials at the end of 2022 after four years of service.
TRANSACTION
PATRIOT LEAGUE – Announced the hiring of Jeffrey Akers as Supervisor of Football Officials.
ABOUT THE PATRIOT LEAGUE
The Patriot League is in its fourth decade of academic and athletic achievement, continually demonstrating that student-athlete can excel at both academics and athletics without sacrificing high standards. The Patriot League’s athletic success is achieved while its member institutions remain committed to its founding principle of admitting and graduating student-athletes that are academically representative of their class. Participation in athletics at Patriot League institutions is viewed as an important component of a well-rounded education.