Will College Sports' Biggest Officiating Scandal Be a Wake-Up Call for Local Judges?

ESPN columnist Scott Wetzel is sounding the alarm after a college sports officiating scandal has sparked renewed scrutiny of the close relationship between referees and the leagues they work for. His attention has turned towards a Texas judge, who has raised eyebrows with his outspoken defense of Brendan Sorsby, a former college football referee at the center of controversy.

The parallels between this scandal and others from the sports world have been impossible for Wetzel to ignore. In recent months, a number of high-profile judges have made headlines for their close associations with the very college sports that Sorsby was a part of, leading to questions about the potential blurring of lines between the law and athletic organizations.

Will the Sorsby scandal serve as a wake-up call for local judges who have built their careers on the back of college sports? Or will it be business as usual, with the usual suspects continuing to navigate the complexities of officiating for profit without consequence?