The Recreation and Wellness Center (RWC) is proud to share that UCF alumnus Tom Eaton ’07 BSBA, ’08 MBA served as the Line Judge for the NFL AFC Championship between the Denver Broncos and the New England Patriots on January 25. Eaton, now in his sixth season as an NFL official, has demonstrated excellence throughout his officiating career, leading to this prestigious assignment. A two-time graduate of the UCF College of Business, Eaton’s journey to the NFL began through UCF’s intramural officiating programs where he worked as a student official and Intramural Sports Supervisor. In his senior year, Tom was named an All-American Flag Football Official by NIRSA in 2007 after representing UCF at the National Flag Football Tournament. After graduation, Tom progressed through leagues including the Conference USA and the SEC before reaching the National Football League. Since joining the NFL in 2020, Eaton has been selected to officiate recent NFL playoff games, including Wild Card Playoff games in 2023 (Ravens vs. Bengals), 2024 (Bills vs. Steelers), and 2025 (Vikings vs. Rams). “As a student, you could find Tom officiating everything from soccer to dodgeball to basketball, learning the fundamentals and the craft of sports officiating along the way,” says Gary Cahen, former supervisor and Associate Director at the UCF Recreation and Wellness Center. “His career really took off once he advanced into high school and later college officiating, and we’re incredibly proud that he continues to represent UCF at the highest levels of the profession.” “Tom was part of a student officiating staff 20 years ago that now includes officials who have gone on to work in the NBA (Ray Acosta), the Olympic Games (Steve Anderson), NCAA March Madness (Vladimir Voyard-Tadal), major college football conferences such as the Big Ten (Nick Brigati), and even a Division III National Championship game (Stu Hindman),” Cahen continues. “Their collective success demonstrates the long-term impact of UCF’s commitment to developing future sports officials.”