Cat Conti becomes first female to officiate Power 5 college football game

On Thursday night, history will be made as Cat Conti becomes the first female to officiate a Power 5 game when Michigan takes on Utah.

History continues to be made in the game of football this season. First in the NFL, it was Dr. Jen Welter becoming the first-ever female coach in the NFL, when she joined the staff of the Arizona Cardinals. Then it was Sarah Thomas, who became the first full-time female official in the NFL.

Now history is being extended into college football and officiating on Thursday night. While there have been female referees in college before, there has never been a female official that has officiated a Power 5 conference game.

That all changes, however, when Cat Conti will become the first-ever female official to officiate a Power 5 game, when the Michigan Wolverines take on the Utah Utes.

It’s another big step forward for the sport of football as females continue to break down barriers in the sport. For Conti, there will be no special privileges or differences because she is a female. She has earned the right to get where she has gotten, and she will call it as she sees it on the field.

The growth of female influence into the sport only further exemplifies the growth of football and how powerful it has become. It’s a welcome sight to behold and hopefully it will continue to further pave roads for young girls and other females who want to be a part of the game.

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