Mitchell sports associations seek grants for officiating costs

Yahoo Sports • 1 min read • Latest: Aug 28, 2026, 11:51 PM

Last updated Aug 28, 2026

Soccer

Summary

Mitchell Sports Associations are requesting grant funding from the local Sports and Events Authority to cover officiating fees. In particular, the upcoming Cornucopia 2026 soccer tournament plans to allocate over $7,500 for referees, which will constitute 56.8% of its budget. Similar trends are observed across various sports, with costs for umpires in local baseball and softball tournaments also rising. Officials highlight a shortage of referees and umpires, with compensation increasing but failing to meet demand. The Mitchell Soccer Association is working to create a local pool of certified referees in response to the shortage. The Cornucopia tournament is scheduled for September 26-27 and anticipates 65 to 70 participating teams.

Source Links

Yahoo Sports

Key Details

•Mitchell Sports Associations request funds for officiating fees.
•Cornucopia 2026 allocates $7,500 for referees this year.
•Mitchell Soccer Association seeks local certified referees.
•Referee fees make up large portions of event budgets.
•Cornucopia tournament scheduled for September 26-27.

Latest Updates

11:51 PMYahoo Sports — Marshall Mitchell: Mitchell sports associations turn to grants to cover officiating costs

What they're saying

"
Aug. 28—MITCHELL — Someone has to call a foul or throw a flag, and in Mitchell, paying game officials makes up a large part of event budgets for local sports associations. A recurring request from local organizations to the Mitchell Sports and Events Authority (SEA) committee is grant funding to cover referee, judge and umpire fees for local events. The local grant organization's budget comes ...
— Yahoo Sports

Related Teams & Leagues

Soccer