Maia Chaka has officially made history as the first-ever African-American woman added to the roster of game officials in the NFL. And, of course, she’s an HBCU graduate.
Chaka is a 2006 graduate of Norfolk State University.
“I am honored to be selected as an NFL official,” Chaka said. “But this moment is bigger than a personal accomplishment. It is an accomplishment for all women, my community, and my culture.”
Chaka enters the NFL after an outstanding collegiate officiating career, including stints in the Pac-12 Conference and Conference USA.
In 2014, Chaka was selected for the NFL’s Officiating Development Program, which identifies top collegiate officiating talent to expose them to some of the same experiences as NFL officials, working to determine if they have the ability to succeed as an NFL official.
When she’s not on the field, Maia Chaka is a health and physical education teacher in the Virginia Beach public school system.
“Maia’s years of hard work, dedication and perseverance — including as part of the NFL Officiating Development Program — have earned her a position as an NFL official,” said Troy Vincent, Sr., NFL executive vice president of football operations. “As we celebrate Women’s History Month, Maia is a trailblazer as the first Black female official and inspires us toward normalizing women on the football field.”
The NFL made headlines back in 2018 when it had an all-HBCU officiating team. The next time that happens, there’s a good chance Maia Chaka will be in the mix.