The Collegiate Baseball Umpires Assigning Organization is dedicated to baseball umpiring. The CBUAO President is Nick Zibelli. The organization, founded in 2006, was created to fill a void left by the restructuring of Eastern College Baseball Umpire Assigning Bureau. The CBUAO incorporates the basic principles and ideals that, before the restructuring, made the ECBUB the premier college baseball assigning organization in the country. Over 600 umpires from Maine to Florida and as far west as Wisconsin are registered with the CBUAO and are available for assignments to college baseball games in Division II, III, and Junior College (see our CLIENTS page). Umpires are recruited through the various college umpiring associations and are trained and evaluated through the CBUAO’s vast network of associates. The CBUAO provides the highest quality of officiating, including umpires who have worked the NCAA Men’s College World Series.
CBUAO President Nick Zibelli is a three time NCAA College World Series umpire. Nick worked the Division II World Series in 1991 and the Division I series in 1998 and 2002 and was an alternate three additional years. Nick worked 13 Division I Regional Tournaments along with 7 Super Regionals. He is one of the few umpires in the country selected to work the National Championship in all 3 NCAA divisions. In his 40 year umpiring career Nick has worked all levels of baseball from Brockton, Massachusetts Little League to the College World Series in Omaha, Nebraska. His resume also includes the World Junior Baseball Championships and the United States Olympic Festival.
Nick began his career as a baseball assignor in 1982 scheduling umpires for the University of Rhode Island. The Sports Officiating Bureau was formed in 1988 as many additional schools sought assigning services from an independent organization. In 1997 The Sports Officiating Bureau combined its 111 member schools with the ECBUB to form one of the largest college baseball assigning organizations in the country (155 schools) under the ECAC umbrella. In 2001 Zibelli was named the ECAC Director of Baseball umpiring and continued in that role until the conclusion of the 2006 baseball season at which time the total number of schools assigned reached over 300.
In September of 2006, CBUAO was formed. By continuing the alliance forged with the college baseball umpire associations and collegiate conferences the CBUAO is thriving with more than 300 colleges and universities contracting with the organization for officiating services. The CBUAO assigns baseball umpires to regular season and tournament championships for the majority of NCAA conferences in all divisions throughout the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic states. In addition, the country’s top summer collegiate baseball leagues like the Cape Cod Baseball League, and the Hamptons Collegiate League utilize the services of the CBUAO.
As the NCAA conference coordinator for 3 Division II, 23 Division III, and 4 JUCO conferences, Nick is responsible for recommending umpires for the NCAA championships at all levels.
Contact us if you are interested in baseball umpiring assigning services or would like to learn more about the CBUAO.
