College football fans have been treated to a quality opening stretch as the temperature slowly drops and the 2024 season really gets underway. Sharp-eyed viewers also may have noticed an addition to referee uniforms this season across all conferences— the initials "RR" are on all officials' hats for the 2024 season.
Why is that? We'll break it down for you.
What Does "RR" Stand for?
The "RR" on the hats stands for Rogers Redding, who died in April 2024.
Who was Rogers Redding?
Rogers Redding was a 30-year officiating veteran. He reffed in the SEC and the old Southwest Conference beginning in 1988. The most notable games he called included the 1991 Orange Bowl, the 1993 Sugar Bowl, and the 1998 Rose Bowl.
Redding's biggest impact came after he hung up the cleats as an on-field judge. He became a replay official and supervisor of officials for the SEC. Then, he became a rules editor and national coordinator of the College Football Officiating (CFO) organization. He is credited with leading the charge to make officiating uniform across college football as far as signals, organization and interpretation of NCAA rules. In recognition of his contributions to the game, Redding received the Outstanding Football Official award from the National Football Foundation in 2010 and became the first officiating recipient of the organization's Legacy Award in 2019.
With Redding's death this past April, the college football world sought to pay homage to his contributions. Thus, the RR patch on the hats.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as What Does 'RR' Stand for on Referee Hats in College Football?.