GREENSBORO, N.C. (theACC.com) – The Atlantic Coast Conference announced today that Alberto Riveron has been named the league’s new Supervisor of Football Officials. Riveron, who served as the NFL’s Senior Vice President of Officiating from 2017-20 and currently works as an NFL Rules analyst, has compiled a distinguished 30-year career as both an on-field official and an officiating administrator in the NCAA and NFL.
“We look forward to Al joining the ACC as he brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise to this role,” said ACC Commissioner Jim Phillips, Ph.D. “Al’s experience in both the collegiate and professional ranks will serve the league, our schools and officials well. The search committee’s process was comprehensive and thorough, and I appreciate their dedication and efforts in bringing us to this successful conclusion.”
“I’m incredibly appreciative of the tremendous opportunity ahead,” Riveron said. “To have a chance to work with an extremely talented group of officials and serve the outstanding schools in the ACC and the student-athletes of our league is a challenge I am really looking forward to.”
Among his duties, Riveron will be responsible for managing the oversight, supervision, leadership, training and development of an ACC officiating staff that includes on-field officials, instant replay officials, instant replay communicators, position coaches, evaluators and assistant supervisors. He will also serve as the day-to-day administrator of the ACC’s Football Officiating Alliance and will develop conference football officiating schedules and assignments.
A search committee comprised of school administrators and a former ACC and current NFL official reviewed the candidates and selected the finalists for this position. The committee included North Carolina Director of Athletics Bubba Cunningham, Clemson Chief of Football Administration and current NCAA Football Rules Committee member Woody McCorvey and NFL Referee Brad Allen.
As NFL Senior Vice President of Officiating, Riveron managed a staff of approximately 250 individuals. He was responsible for maintaining communication with coaches, media partners, and club executives year-round, and assigned officiating crews to all NFL contests, including postseason games. During the season, he directed and supervised Art McNally Game Day Central, the league’s officiating headquarters in the New York office. Riveron was responsible for an officiating developmental program with a focus on creating opportunities for minority candidates.
Riveron spent nine seasons as an on-field NFL official from 2004-2012 (side judge from 2004-07 and referee from 2008-12), becoming the first official of Hispanic origin in NFL history. In 2013, he was promoted to NFL Senior Director of Officiating, a newly created position as second-in-command of the league’s officiating staff and was elevated to Senior Vice President of Officiating in 2017. Prior to his time with the NFL, Riveron was a collegiate official from 1990-2004 in Conference USA and the Big East. He also previously served as the Greater Miami Athletic Conference Supervisor of Officials. In addition to his officiating assignments, Riveron worked in sales in the Fort Lauderdale and Miami area from 1991-2013.
Riveron takes over for Dennis Hennigan, who was the league’s football supervisor of officials from 2015-22. Fluent in both English and Spanish, Riveron moved to the United States from Cuba when he was 5 years old.