NFL Prepares Replacement Refs for 2026 Season

The National Football League is preparing contingency plans to hire replacement officials for the 2026 season as negotiations with the NFL Referees Association remain stalled, according to reports from league emails and union officials. The current collective bargaining agreement between the league and the union is set to expire at the end of May, prompting the NFL to seek about 150 officials, primarily from small college programs, to begin onboarding as early as this spring.

Emails reviewed by journalists indicate that the league aims to compile a list of potential replacements by the end of this weekend. Selected officials would undergo background checks and initial training in April, followed by a four-day clinic in May. If no agreement is reached, the group would continue with Zoom-based sessions through the summer and visits to training camps in August, positioning them for regular-season duties in September. The NFL declined to comment on the preparations.

This approach echoes the league's actions ahead of the 2012 lockout, when officials were sidelined for 110 days and the first three weeks of the regular season. That period saw the use of lower-level college, minor...