The call of a lifetime: GC's Stumberg officiates CFP national championship

Imagine over 80,000 rabid fans from two of the most football-crazed states in the union gathered in their own backyards for a winner-take-all showdown, the cacophonous noise so ear shattering you can barely hear yourself think. Now imagine that it’s going into overtime, and any controversial call you make could unleash a torrent of jeers, threats and even actual violence. Try not to feel the pressure.
 
Luckily for B1G conference center judge Mike Stumberg of Grundy Center, who called the College Football Playoff (CFP) National Championship matchup between Georgia and Alabama, the contest went off without a hitch, and he and his colleagues have been praised for their efforts in officiating one of the greatest title games in FBS history. As one might expect, he received plenty of correspondence and encouragement from friends and family back home.
 
"I got a lot of texts and e-mails leading up to the game, during the game and after the game," Stumberg said. "Some were recognizing me on TV and had no idea that I was there, but all were sending positive comments and recognition. That was really nice."
 
Getting the call
Sans a B1G squad in the four-team field for the CFP, the conference was chosen to assemble a crew for the finale. Pat Brown, Stumberg’s mentor and a recently retired Missouri Valley referee, first predicted that his former understudy would be selected, and surely enough, he was right.
 
“As soon as I saw that, I hit a text to Mike, and it went something along the lines of ‘I really have a good feeling about this. Obviously a B1G crew is going to get it, and I’m convinced that you’re going to be center judge,’” Brown said. 
 
About 40 days before kickoff, Stumberg received word from the supervisor of officials that he’d been handpicked for the big game.
 
"It's a reflection of your body of work," Stumberg said. "The supervisor finds the best guys to work that particular game, and I was fortunate to be selected.”
 
Preparation started immediately. Stumberg, 50, buried his nose in the rule book and glued his eyes to film, all while working hard at staying physically fit and juggling his day job as a claims manager at Nationwide Insurance. 
 
The full story is available in the January 18 edition of the Grundy Register. Subscribe by calling (319) 824-6958 or clicking here.