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The University of Mississippi Athletics
Ole Miss Grad Shines As NCAA Soccer Referee
11/17/2005 | Soccer
Nov. 17, 2005
- By Joey Jones
Athletics Media Relations Intern
While many people will spend their Thanksgiving weekend traveling home to visit with family, watch football and of course eat loads of turkey and dressing, Ken Towler will be doing those things in addition to a more unique task.
Towler, a 1974 graduate of Ole Miss, will be preparing to officiate the NCAA Division III Women's Soccer Final Four.
In his 29th year of officiating college soccer, Towler is getting a chance to do what only a few elite referees achieve. Each year, the NCAA Competition Committee chooses from the best of the best across the country to be selected as referees for the Division I, II and III Men's and Women's Soccer Final Fours.
The Virginia native is no stranger to refereeing big games, though. He has officiated over 1,000 games in his career, which is the most in the history of Virginia soccer referees. Among those games, he has worked NCAA Division I Tournament matches as far as the Elite Eight and SEC Tournament matches in Nashville, Tenn., and Tuscaloosa, Ala.
In fact, Towler has been officiating games for this year's Men's and Women's NCAA Tournaments, and will be a referee for the women's Sweet Sixteen match-up between Virginia and Cal State-Fullerton this weekend.
While the state of Virginia boasts a pair of MLS officials and a couple of FIFA officials, Towler was among the few selected for the NCAA Final Four.
"It is a great honor to be able to do this after working so many games in my career," Towler said. "I think this will be it, and then I'll retire," he chuckled.
But Towler admits the best thing about this tournament is that he can still be with his family on Thanksgiving.
"The best thing is that it is in Greensboro, North Carolina, which is only a two-hour drive from my home. While most everybody else will be flying in from all across the country, I can just drive home and be with my family."
So Towler, who played with the men's soccer club team and officiated intramural soccer during his time at Ole Miss, is just another example of the great accomplishments of former Rebels. And he does not forget his roots.
"I always make a point to keep track of Ole Miss and the SEC," Towler said. "I think (head soccer coach) Steve Holeman is a great coach, and he has done some great things with the Rebel program."
It's because of people like Towler and former Rebels Jennifer Soileau (head coach, Louisiana Tech), Kristin Chapman (head coach, Warren Central High School) and Anna Sanders (assistant coach, Arkansas), that Ole Miss Soccer has been and will continue to be one of the finest and most respected programs in the nation.