NCAA ref speaking out after death threats from fans

OMAHA, NE (KETV/WTVQ) – The NCAA referee is speaking out after he received threats and harassment from Kentucky fans.

John Higgins has owned and operated the roofing company, Weatherguard, INC. for 30 years.  He also refs NCAA basketball games.

“We got 25,000 emails, 2-3,000 phone calls a day. Even now, they don’t ring that much but they’re still ringing today,” Higgins said.

It’s been more than a week since he officiated the Elite 8 game in the NCAA basketball championship between Kentucky and North Carolina. Kentucky lost by two points. North Carolina went on to win the NCAA championship.

Some fans blamed Higgins for Kentucky’s loss and fans have inundated Higgins’ company with phone calls and emails, even posting bogus Google reviews and Facebook comments, plummeting his business score.

Higgins says some of the calls have included death threats.  The Sarpy County Sheriff’s Department in Omaha has pinpointed five legitimate threats.

Higgins says the death threats were vulgar and mentioned his family. He is married and a father of three.

“I’m used to it. We get criticism with every game on TV, it’s the nature of the beast. But once it starts to hit home, with my family and are bombarded and they’re threatening you and family, it crosses the line in my book,” Higgins said.

Investigators called in the FBI and the University of Kentucky Police department.

Higgins wants to tell fans, referees are human. He hopes they will think twice about attacking refs when games don’t go their way.

“We’re gonna miss calls and miss plays, and whether or not we miss them or don’t miss them, it doesn’t give people the right to threaten our lives and livelihood,” Higgins said.