If you’ve attended a Syracuse football game, it’s likely you’ve seen him. He might have been the target of your boos or curses. Or he might have been a mysterious man you’ve always seen standing on the field when play is stopped.

The television referee, or television liaison official, could be the most desirable or undesirable job on Saturdays at the Carrier Dome. While standing on the sidelines during a game is a dreamy viewpoint, acting as the symbol of a necessary evil isn’t as wonderful.

But for John Campagna, a 1959 Syracuse graduate, the positives heavily outweigh the negatives. Campagna, who turns 75 years old this week, has been suiting up as the ‘red hat’ for 15 years. He’s worked 85 Syracuse home games, ensuring for the television network covering the contest that he’ll hold up officials long enough for commercials to finish.

Campagna started in the business of refereeing as a high school official. He worked 40 years at that level before receiving a call from a former member of his high school referee crew who moved on to the college level. Campagna was asked by his friend, who had taken over as a TV ref after years of field officiating, to become Syracuse’s new TV ref. After a one-game tryout, Campagna did well enough to stay on, and he’s loved every game since.

‘It’s just great,’ Campagna said. ‘I’m honored to do it. I’m honored that I had a friend that could get me to do this. All my old high school officiating friends, they ask me when I’ll retire so they can have my job.’

Unfortunately for his buddies, the next in line probably will be named by the Big East, not Campagna. But that’s looking ahead. Regardless of his age, he plans on continuing as long as his health holds up and as long as he’s ‘not a hindrance,’ Campagna said.

Campagna is tough enough to deal with the job. Teaching sixth graders at West Genesee Middle School for 34 years, along with raising five kids, helped Campagna, now retired, learn to deal with pestering.

At the Dome on Nov. 18 for the SU game against UConn, Campagna had to absorb pre-game jabbing from fans walking the sidelines. One came up to him and said, ‘Keep those TV commercials short today please!’

Laughing, Campagna turned and said, ‘Write that down, that’s what I hear every week!’

Most of the time, it’s good natured jostling. I remember hearing angry boos and shouts when he held the game up for an extended time. It was probably caused more by pent-up anger at the team’s frustrating performance than his job – which is, because of television’s advertising revenue, an accepted annoyance. Campagna ensures fans at home won’t be watching commercials while the ball is hiked.

Before the game, Campagna meets with the producer from the station covering the game to go over the game plan – which he says is nearly identical each time. There are three television timeouts per quarter, usually after a change in possession or a score, Campagna said.

When he receives word from the producer through his headset that the network needs a break, Campagna hustles to the hash marks by the 20-yard line, dressed in a red hat and red shirt that look like they’ve been with him all 15 years. He makes eye contact with the game officials and they stop the game. Campagna stands on the field until he is notified that the commercials are over. He then motions to the officials to start play up again and moves back to the sidelines.

While all the players, fans and referees are itching for the ball to be snapped, Campagna stands firm, with an arm out telling officials to wait. He learned his lesson from a few years ago, when he didn’t hold the game long enough, and was chewed out by a producer. ‘Now I don’t move until they tell me,’ Campagna said.

When not on the field, Campagna helps spotting flags and notifying the network of things it can’t see. On Mondays, he sends in a report to the officiating supervisor, listing the length of commercials, the timeouts and the game as a whole. Although he loves being around the game, the job as TV ref is also a great opportunity to meet former players and develop relationships with the team and school, as well as fans in the student section directly behind where he stands.

‘He’s an institution at the SU football games,’ junior Patrick Evans said. ‘He’s been here every time I’ve been here. He does his job well, and has never been caught on the field at an inopportune time.’

Junior Darryl Patteson also appreciates having a referee nearby that will actually talk with the students.

‘It’s fun that a guy on the field doing something will let you know, ‘I’m doing my job, I can’t make time go faster,” Patteson said.

For the most part, though, Campagna won’t listen too much to those in the stands. ‘Rabbit ears’ aren’t good for those in his position, he says.

You’ve got to give the guy credit: he’s over 70, puts up with loud fans and told me he has never once held up the game longer than he’s been told to – which must be tempting in such a position. So before you boo or heckle the TV ref, think twice. Not that the taunts would bother him anyway since he’s living the life.

‘The thing I like about this is that I still am connected to the game,’ Campagna said. ‘I’ve met a lot of nice people, and it’s nice to be affiliated with the game, because I’m going to be 75, and at least I can say I’m still officiating.’