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Four area officials headed to bowls
By Greg Gulas
YOUNGSTOWN
When it comes to officiating, the Mahoning Valley has always been well-represented in the three major sports arenas.
This year’s college football bowl season is no different.
Youngstown natives Julius Livas, Rob Luklan and Tom Krispinsky will serve on three of the five Big Ten Conference postseason crews and Jim Visingardi has been named to one of the two Mid-American Conference crews.
The selections come as no surprise to longtime area grid official and former Ohio Athletic Conference supervisor of officials, Dr. Larry Glass.
“All four area officials came up through the ranks, have proven to be very capable officials and are deserving of a bowl selection this year,” Glass said. “All paid their dues and moved up and are to be commended for a job well done on the field.”
Livas, a line judge, is a South High and Bowling Green graduate who will work the Dec. 31 Hyundai Sun Bowl between USC (7-5) and Georgia Tech (6-7) in El Paso, Texas, his ninth bowl assignment.
“I have mixed emotions because on one hand I am glad that this is the end, but on the other hand I am going to miss all of the excitement and crowd noise on Saturday afternoon, as well as the coaches hollering at me from the sideline,” said Livas, who is retiring.
“My children said, ‘Dad, you cannot continue to referee until you are 70 years old,’ but I know that it is going to be a lot different for me next fall on Saturday afternoon.”
Luklan, a Cardinal Mooney High and YSU alum, is in his fourth season as a Big Ten official after working 10 years in the MAC and seven in the OAC.
A back judge, he will work the Jan. 2 Allstate Sugar Bowl between Louisville (10-2) and Florida (11-1). It is his ninth bowl assignment and perhaps the most surprising of his 21-year career because he missed several games this season due to nerve entrapment surgery on his left leg.
“The call was a total surprise but what an honor to have been selected,” said Luklan.
Luklan returned for a Nov. 21 Indiana-Purdue game that featured featured 208 plays, 1,175 yards of total offense and 91 points.
“I never saw teams get to the line and set so fast and then run their plays,” said Luklan, who was pain-free afterward. “If they didn’t turn the ball over so much I might still be working the game.”
Krispinsky, a line judge, is a Wilson High and YSU graduate. He has been a college official for 18 years, spending the first seven in the MAC and the last 11 in the Big Ten.
He will work the Dec. 27 Northrop Grumman Military Bowl in Washington, D.C. between San Jose State (10-2) and Bowling Green (8-4).
It is his fifth bowl selection. He also worked two MAC championship contests and the 2011 inaugural Big Ten championship game.
“It’s always an honor when you are selected for a bowl game because it is the selection committee’s way of saying that you had a nice season,” said Krispinsky. “I cannot tell you how thankful I am to the other area Division I college and NFL officials who opened the door for all of us, guys like Dr. [Larry] Glass, Dick Creed, Bob Walker, Bud Fiffick and Ted Humphrey.”
Visingardi, a Struthers High grad, attended YSU and is currently in his 29th season on the college level, having spent his first nine seasons in the Ohio Athletic Conference and the last 20 in the MAC.
He will work the Dec. 20 San Diego County Credit Union Poinsettia Bowl between Brigham Young (7-5) and San Diego State (9-3), his 10th bowl selection.
In addition to working the 2004 and 2006 MAC championship game, Visingardi has also worked the 2008 Italian Super Bowl.
“This is our reward for having a good season but more importantly, it lets us know that we’re coming back next year,” said Visingardi. “It’s an awesome feeling when you get the call because it has been so much fun over the years.
“We each had such phenomenal teachers so I, too, want to be able to give back to the younger officials. [Dr.] Larry [Glass] taught me the rules but it was Dick [Creed] who taught me what a foul actually was,” he added.