Welcome to The SouthwestERN Athletic Officials association
EVENT CALENDAR: Stay up to date on the latest SAOA important dates here.
The Latest from SAOA
SIBOA Day at the Ballpark
The SIBOA is having a membership appreciation day with the St. Louis Cardinals on Saturday, April 12 @ 1:15pm. Tickets are $100.00 for the all-inclusive day at the Hoffmann Brothers Rooftop located on the 3rd floor of Cardinals Nation. Your group will enjoy a...
Calling all SAOA Officials to Help One of Their Own
Fellow Officials! We hope you will take this opportunity to reach out and help one of our own. Ethan Guss, an SAOA official, has a little girl bravely battling leukemia. Please click here to learn more about how you can help their family through this very difficult...
SAOA 2025 Basketball Post Season Assignments
Congratulations to our SAOA members who received basketball post-season assignments! You can see where our members are working by clicking here. Thanks to all officials who worked this season and represented our association so well!
About SAOA
The MISSION of the SOUTHWESTERN ATHLETIC OFFICIALS ASSOCIATION is the enhancement of the knowledge and skills of its members in the sports designated by the active membership to assure a higher level of excellence and participation in officiating; those sports designated by the membership are football, basketball, and any other sport(s) determined by the membership. In order to fulfill the purposes outlined, coordinate and provide activities both within and outside the ASSOCIATION that encourage extensive communication and participation in a variety of professional experiences.
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If you’re new to SAOA or a veteran, we’re making it easy to keep your membership up to date. SAOA has many benefits for its members, sign up now!
Calendar & Events
Don’t miss a deadline! Stay in the know with our calendar of events highlighting meeting dates, clinics, licensing periods, officials conferences and more.
Curious about SAOA?
Joining an officials association has many great benefits. From mentoring to development and networking to access to assignors and athletic directors.
Want to Join SAOA?
The Southwestern Athletic Officials Association (SAOA) has been in existence for over 40 years. The exact date the association formed is not known, but our files have records of rosters and minutes from the early 1960s. Our membership consists of men and women in the southwestern Illinois area that are licensed IHSA football and basketball officials. These members officiate amateur games and contests primarily at the high school and junior high school levels.
The SAOA is proud of the fact that over the years, many of it members have officiated at the IHSA State Finals in both football and basketball. In fact, some of our members have officiated IHSA State Finals in multiple sports. In addition, a large percentage of our members have advanced to officiate at the collegiate level in both sports as well.