The MIAA
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – The Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association announces an innovative plan to pilot test instant replay technology during the upcoming baseball and softball seasons.
In the fall of 2023, the MIAA’s Athletics Administrators Committee (AAC) agreed to implement a pilot program for regular season MIAA baseball and softball contests to test instant replay technology in 2024. Using all the applicable replay rules approved by the NCAA Baseball and Softball Rules Committee, the league will begin pilot testing instant replay this spring.
MIAA institutions that will be testing instant replay for the sport of baseball are the University of Central Missouri, Missouri Western State University and Pittsburg State University. The University of Central Oklahoma, Rogers State University and the University of Nebraska Kearney will test instant replay in the sport of softball.
The Association’s Supervisor for Umpires in both baseball and softball have worked with the conference office to develop the MIAA replay policies and procedures for each sport.
“I applaud the MIAA in implementing this cutting-edge technology and look forward to working with them this upcoming year,” said Chris Coskey, MIAA Supervisor of Baseball Umpires.
“Implementing a pilot instant replay program in the MIAA could significantly enhance the accuracy of critical calls during games, and ultimately, could positively impact the sport's integrity, competitiveness, and appeal, benefiting both players, teams, umpires and the broader Division II baseball community.”
The results from the pilot test sites will be analyzed by MIAA coaches and administrators this summer to determine the possibility of welcoming the full implementation of instant replay technology at all campuses for the 2025 spring MIAA baseball and softball seasons.
The selected MIAA pilot test campuses will use the same SkyCoach Instant Replay system that the Association has used in the sport of football for the past two seasons. SkyCoach requires no computer monitors – the technology taps into cameras already being used for game broadcasts – and does not require a replay booth. MIAA umpires will have instantaneous access to plays for review on an iPad through the SkyCoach app.
"I’m very excited for the introduction of video review in MIAA softball to further the quality of play for the student-athletes,” stated Austin Mezzacasa, MIAA Supervisor of Softball Umpires. “From an officiating standpoint, this will allow the league’s umpire staff further resources to make sure we are getting calls correct and allow officials to progress their games in a new skill set.”
“The MIAA continues to raise the bar for officiating practices in NCAA Division II and I am thrilled to aid in these goals."
Instant replay technology will also be used at the 2024 MIAA Baseball and Softball Championship sites. The upcoming baseball and softball seasons are scheduled to begin February 1-3.