Syracuse, N.Y. -- The supervisor for ACC football officials says 'a few' of his charges have decided not to be on the field this fall, opting out due to coronavirus concerns.

"Certainly, that is an option they have," said Dennis Hennigan during a zoom interview Friday. "If they do decide to opt out this year, it has no impact on them returning next year."

What You Need To Know

  • The ACC's supervisor of officials says a 'few' officials have opted out of the 2020 season.

  • Every official working a game this season will be wearing a face covering.

  • The football will not be replaced and cleaned after every snap, a decision made by the ACC's medical advisory group.

  • All eight officials scheduled to work Saturday's Syracuse-UNC game have tested negative.

Hennigan, a CBA alum who was inducted into the Greater Syracuse Sports Hall of Fame in 2017, says he's sure he'd 'be out there' if he was still officiating. A veteran of 15 bowl games, including the 2004 National Championship game, Hennigan has been the ACC's top dog since 2015 after spending nearly 40 seasons on the field.

"Everyone has different situations, family situations, work situations. So, I support whatever anybody decides," said Hennigan.

Officiating will certainly look, and sound, a lot different in 2020. Each official working a game will be wearing a mask, and will need to pass rigorous testing to get there. They'll also be using electronic whistles activated by pushing a button, instead of the normal ones that go in and out of the mouth. Hennigan says the electronic version is not as loud, which hasn't been a problem yet because, currently, no fans are allowed to attend.

"As more fans attend games this year, hopefully, it could become more of an issue," he said, "being able to hear that whistle."

One somewhat surprising decision is that the football will not be swapped out after every snap for cleaning and disinfecting. Hennigan says not only would doing so dramatically slow the game down, the ACC medical advisory group has also determined that it's not necessary to ensure safety.

"The ball is changed on numerous occasions throughout the game," he said. "We had a game down at Miami [Thursday night], and it really wasn't an issue. The teams were able to go as fast as they wanted to. So, I don't think the ball is going to be an issue."

Policing the sidelines to make sure coaches are wearing face coverings and following proper protocols, at this point, is not under the officials' jurisdiction. Hennigan says it would be appropriate for an official to make 'suggestions' in that regard, but there are no warnings or penalties associated with that.

Hennigan says for every game, an eight-man crew is tested during the week for COVID-19, along with three or four supplemental officials to serve as alternates in case there are any positive tests. He says all eight scheduled to work Saturday's Syracuse-North Carolina game have tested negative. In the event one of them fails to pass a temperature/symptom screening on gameday, an alternate would be called in.

"At most schools, we do have someone within driving distance who could probably get there prior to kickoff," Hennigan said. "So, I feel that we're pretty well-positioned, knock on wood, to handle those situations."