2/2 D-Fly & Dixie with National Coordinator of Officials Tom Abbott

The 2024 NCAA lacrosse season kicks off this weekend with 15 games on Saturday and three more on Sunday. D-Fly and Dixie are back to set the table on a pretty, pretty, pretty good opening weekend of action. With both guys still smarting from the Ravens loss, “Week Zero” is just the remedy.

Tom Abbott, the NCAA National Coordinator of Officials, joins Dan and Mark as our guest this week. Tom has officiated more than 25 NCAA Championship Weekends, and the legend shares his history in the sport and a few stories of some of his most memorable games. As two busy lacrosse dads and traveling officials, Mark and Tom commiserate over paying their dues as young referees, juggling spring and summer schedule demands and the toll officiating can take on aging body. 

Tom also provides great context in his explanation of the process of how rules changes come about in general and specific to this year’s new rules. The game continues to evolve for the better in ways that improve safety, game play and accuracy of calls.

Then it’s on to the game previews. Fifteen games on tap on this first Saturday of the season, including contests involving nine teams from the IL Media Top 20. Including these gems:

No. 13 Denver at No. 5 Johns Hopkins, noon

Colgate at No. 4 Penn State, noon

Utah at Ohio State, noon

No. 12 Georgetown at Loyola, 1 p.m.

Lehigh at No. 15 Rutgers, 1 p.m.

No. 6 Maryland at No. 20 Richmond, 1 p.m.

In a breakfast-inspired Give & Go, the guys enter a diner and select the ultimate morning meal from the menu.