ACC names Gary Patterson supervisor of football officials
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Gary Patterson, who officiated four ACC championship games, the 2008-09 national title contest and 2006 Army-Navy game, was named the league’s supervisor of football officials Monday.
A former Wofford quarterback, Patterson replaces Al Riveron, who resigned last week after three seasons in the position.
“Gary Patterson has earned the trust and respect of coaches and his officiating colleagues throughout his more than 30-year career, including nearly 25 in the ACC,” commissioner Jim Phillips said in a news release. “His extensive experience on the field has been defined by excellence, integrity and leadership, and his deep understanding of the game makes him uniquely qualified to lead ACC football officiating.”
Patterson’s on-the-field career began in 1994 in the Division II South Atlantic Conference. He joined the ACC’s officiating roster in 2002 and was promoted to referee in 2009, shortly after serving as back judge for the January, 2009, Bowl Championship Series title game, won by Florida over Oklahoma.
That contest pitted Heisman Trophy-winning quarterbacks Tim Tebow of Florida and Sam Bradford of Oklahoma. Landstown High graduate Percy Harvin closed his college career that night by amassing 171 yards of offense (122 rushing and 49 receiving) and scoring one touchdown for the Gators.
During his time in the ACC, Patterson worked for supervisors such as Doug Rhodes, Dennis Hennigan and Riveron. The job entails not only evaluating, recruiting and training officials, but also working with the league’s coaches and administrators.
Moreover, Patterson will collaborate with ESPN as the network and ACC seek to enhance the unrivaled replay transparency they unveiled for select games in 2025. The position paid Riveron $293,076 in fiscal year 2025, according to the ACC’s federal tax filing.
“I want to sincerely thank Commissioner Phillips for his confidence and the opportunity to lead the ACC’s football officiating program,” Patterson said in the release. “It is truly an honor to serve a conference that has meant so much to me throughout my career. I look forward to working with our outstanding officials, coaches and administrators to continue elevating the quality, consistency and integrity of ACC officiating.”
Frustrated by a late replay intervention in the 2025 Syracuse-Connecticut game he was refereeing, Patterson stepped down from his on-the-field position last September.
David Teel, david.teel@virginiamedia.com
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