KANSAS CITY, Mo. - The MIAA has announced a partnership with Officially Human, becoming the first NCAA Division II conference to officially join forces with the renown organization whose mission is to “restore respect to game officials and recognize them as authorities on the fields and courts.

"The MIAA is happy to collaborate with Officially Human and help lead the way in Division II for this vitally important issue facing sports at every level,” MIAA Commissioner Mike Racy said. "Brenda Hilton and her team are doing important work and we look forward to sharing this great information with our MIAA schools and our fans. We have some of the best officials in the country and we are committed to giving them the support and respect they deserve."

Officially Human was founded by Brenda Hilton, who has spent over 20 years in college athletics working with sports officials from the mid-majors to the highest level of Division I.

“It is a privilege to partner with such a respected and accomplished conference like the MIAA,” said Officially Human CEO Brenda Hilton. “We appreciate the leadership and vision shown by Commissioner Racy at the DII level, and applaud him for recognizing the importance of raising awareness of the treatment of officials within their membership.

The Lombard, Illinois-based organization was founded in 2019 to restore respect to, and positive treatment of, sport officials through increased education and communication to all stakeholders (administrators, coaches, athletes, and fans). Officially Human is the leader in addressing the growing crisis in officiating that touches every sport, official, and level of competition.

The MIAA will provide each member institution access to resources created by Officially Human throughout the partnership. Videos and other informational items designed to help better educate and inform student-athletes, coaches and fans will be highlighted throughout the membership.

About Officially Human
Based in Lombard, IL, Officially Human was founded to restore respect to, and positive treatment of, sport officials through increased education and communication to all stakeholders (administrators, coaches, athletes, and fans.) Founded in 2019, Officially Human is the leader in addressing the growing crisis in officiating that touches every sport, official, and level of competition. Officially Human offers tailored solutions to athletic host organizations of all sizes that improve the stakeholder experience at each of their sporting competitions. The comprehensive solutions package includes digital education, awareness building, event host communication strategies, and organizational support in addressing poor fan behavior. To learn more about Officially Human, visit officiallyhuman.com.

About The MIAA
The MIAA is one of the nation’s oldest conferences and one of the most successful in NCAA Division II. The conference dates all the way back to 1912 and currently has 14 full-time members. Over the past 110 years, the MIAA has gained the reputation of being one of the best NCAA Division II conferences in the nation. Student-athletes have won 54 NCAA Division II team championships and well over 400 individual national titles. In the classroom, hundreds of student-athletes have earned Academic All-America and All-District honors.