ACC college football referees are paid per game. In 2025, referees in the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) of NCAA (which includes the ACC) are at the high end of the pay scale among college officials. Most ACC officials have many years of experience and often officiate important games, so their pay reflects that.
For FBS football (the top level), recent sources indicate referees earn on the order of $2,000 to $3,000 per game. This range can fluctuate by conference and referee seniority. ACC is considered a major conference (similar to the SEC or Big Ten), so ACC officials would be near the upper end of that range. For example, a seasoned ACC referee might receive around $2,500 to $3,000 for a regular-season game. If that referee works a conference championship game or a bowl game, those pay rates often are higher (some conferences pay more for their championship contest, and bowls or playoff games have their own fees).
For context, a recent overview noted that college football refs average about $2,500 to $3,000 per game across major games. The Washington Post (2012) reported amounts like $1,200 for early NCAA Tournament rounds (basketball); similarly, in football, bowl games and college playoffs pay extra on top of the regular-season rate.
A typical ACC referee might work about 10–12 regular-season games for each team (since conferences have around 8 conference games per team, rotated among officials). If a ref works, say, 12 games at $2,500 each, that’s $30,000 just from regular-season games. Add an ACC Championship game (often a few thousand more) plus maybe one or two bowl games (often around $3,000 each), and the season total could reach $40,000 or more. High-performing officials chosen for the College Football Playoff can earn additional pay for those semifinal and championship games (the CFP pays substantially for its games, with each official reportedly getting a big bonus for Final Four games).
Indeed, a 2024 summary suggested the average college football official’s annual pay might be around $53,000 across all levels, but with a broad range. The salary range for college football officials was cited from about $24,000 up to $237,000, reflecting some who have multiple contracts or year-round positions. The higher end likely includes super officials who also hold full-time roles in officiating administration or travel extensively to many bowl games.
For our focus (ACC refs): a full-time ACC official could expect a season earnings somewhere in the mid-five-figures. Given that the conference season plus one bowl/CFP assignment might total roughly 15 games, if the average pay is $2,500, that’s $37,500, plus any overtime duties. In some write-ups, the “full season” range for top conference refs was given as roughly $24,000–$36,000, which aligns with this estimate.
Conference officials usually have travel and lodging covered when they work away games or out-of-town assignments, so they are not out-of-pocket for those costs. They are also provided with meals per diem in many cases. However, they typically buy their own uniforms and gear. Some conferences or postseason events may offer performance bonuses, though that is more anecdotal. It has been reported that accurate officials might get bonus pay after review, on the order of a couple thousand dollars on average for a season.
Importantly, ACC referees (like all college officials) generally treat officiating as a part-time job or passion project. Many hold full-time careers elsewhere (law enforcement, business, etc.) and officiate college games on weekends. They spend a great deal of time training, traveling, and officiating in-season, but it is not usually their sole income source.
For perspective, NFL referees make on average about $205,000 per season (a fixed salary), significantly more than college officials. The college average of $53,000 per year (per a 2024 article) is far lower. However, ACC referees are closer to that high end because of the conference’s prestige.
One more point: the ACC referee roster is small (only a few dozen officials cover all ACC games), so each is busy. The conference will rotate crews and ensure officials don’t work too many games in a row (to stay sharp). The scheduling means a typical official might work one game on a weekday (Thursday) and one on a weekend, for instance.
For 2025, expect that an ACC college football referee makes on the order of $2,000–$3,000 per game, yielding roughly $30,000–$40,000 in a season if they work around a dozen games. These figures can be higher for championship or playoff games. While this is a solid income for a part-time job, referees do not receive benefits or guaranteed contracts, and much of their time is invested in training and travel. The “complete breakdown” is that ACC refs are among the better-paid in college, but still far below pro levels; their pay primarily comes from game fees plus any postseason or bonus compensation.
