January 21, 2026

Ferris State alum Shawn Smith ‘humbled’ to officiate Super Bowl LX, saying he has many people to thank for his success

Ferris State University graduate Shawn Smith says he “humbled” to be selected to be the lead on-field official for Super Bowl LX, saying he knows he has many people to thank for helping get to this career high-point.

The NFL this week announced that Smith, who graduated from Ferris State in 1994 with a bachelor’s degree in Accountancy, would be the referee for the Feb. 8 game at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California.

He is in his 11th season as an NFL official and 8th as referee, which is the lead official, recognizable by the white cap. The referee manages the entire officiating crew, announces the penalties, and is the final authority on rulings.

Smith was the alternate referee for Super Bowls LV and LVIII, but the 2026 game will be his first on-field appearance at the championship. The Super Bowl last year set a viewership record with nearly 130 million viewers – the most-watched television program of 2025.

“I’m humbled, but very excited by this opportunity,” he said. “So many people built the foundation for this to happen. A lot of folks created opportunities for me. I’m excited for the people at Ferris State, and the high school folks, and all the people who helped me along the way.”

Smith got his start officiating Pop Warner games in junior high school and also officiated flag football at Eastern Michigan University.

The Detroit-area native was recruited to run track and play football at EMU before transferring to Ferris State.

While at Ferris State, he began to officiate high school football and skipped over Division III college football straight to Division II. He was hired by the NFL in 2015.

Smith said he’s been pretty busy since the announcement.

“I’ve had probably a thousand text messages from people who heard the news,” he said on Wednesday. “I’m trying to get back to everyone. But every time I look, there are 100 more!”