30 games analyzed over 6 seasonsUpdated Aug 22, 2026, 9:10 p.m.Compare
NCAA Football
Wayne Gautney
Game-Flow Manager · 30 games · 6 seasons
High game-to-game volatility
Historically associated with slightly lower scoring (3.1 fewer points per game than the league average), near-average flags volume, reduced late-game whistle frequency.
How games feel
Typical historical game environment associated with this official. Descriptive history only.
Slightly lower-scoring environment
Limited evidence
Games officiated by this official averaged 51.5 combined points, 3.1 fewer points per game than the league average.
League average 54.6 combined points
Near-average flags volume
Limited evidence
Flags volume tracks the league baseline (11.8, +0.2).
League average 11.6 flags
Fewer late-game whistles
Limited evidence
In close finishes, whistle rate historically drops versus earlier periods after intentional-foul filtering.
Late-game profile: Swallows Whistle
High game-to-game volatility
Limited evidence
Consistency score 4/10 on whistle volume across the scouting sample window.
Descriptive stability of whistle volume, not a market forecast
Multi-season sample on file
Limited evidence
Profile spans 6 seasons in this dataset (2020-21–2025-26).
Historical environment
Scoring, whistle, and stability context from this official's verified sample versus league averages. Descriptive history only. Window: 2021-2026.
League comparison
Combined score
Official 51.5·Baseline 54.6·-3.1 vs leagueper game
Whistle profile unavailable
Not enough verified games are available to compare this official reliably with the league.
Over-benchmark rate withheld unless verified closing-line provenance is available for this league.
Whistle detail
Whistle profile
Whistle volume, penalty disposition, and high-leverage game-state tendencies.
Official Wayne Gautney profiles as a game-flow (high subjective ratio) over the last 15 games. Whistle volume stays relatively stable in high-stakes settings.
Game-Flow (high subjective ratio) · NCAA Football
Loose / Game-FlowStrict / Rule-Enforcer
90% subjective, 10% procedural
90% subjective vs 10% procedural whistle mix.
Not pressure-sensitive in the last 15 games.
Win/loss and line history
Straight-up and line-linked outcome history when provenance allows. Not a recommendation.
General stats
Games
13
Avg combined points
51.5
-3.1 vs league avg
Games over 50.6 pts
23.1%
Combined beat 54.6 benchmark
Flags per game
11.8
+0.2 vs league avg
Seasons
6 seasons
Pressure
Late-game whistle tendency versus earlier periods. Zero on the scale is the neutral / no-shift anchor for this official (same whistle rate late as earlier), not a league average and not a betting recommendation.
Late-game whistle tendency
Swallows Whistle
Swallows whistleNeutral (0)Tightens up
Leverage index: -43% vs earlier periods (0 = no late-game shift)
Swallows the whistle: foul frequency historically drops in late close-game minutes after intentional-foul filtering. Neutral anchor is zero change versus earlier periods.
Swallows whistle means late close-game whistle rate is lower than earlier periods after intentional-foul filtering. Historical tendency only.
Tight-game proxy
Supporting evidence from close finishes in the verified sample.
Close-game proxy
How Wayne Gautney compares in close-margin games vs the full sample. Based on official box scores.
Close games (≤7 pt margin)
5 of 15 games match this window
Avg combined points
Close-game avg
61.8
Season avg
51.1
Pressure impact
+10.7
Avg flags
Close-game avg
12.8
Season avg
11.7
Pressure impact
+1.1
Over rate
Close-game avg
80.0%
Season avg
46.7%
Pressure impact
+33.3 pp
Over benchmark: 50.6 combined points · Seasons: 2020-21, 2021-22, 2022-23, 2023-24, 2024-25, 2025-26 · 15 total games in sample
Pregame toss-ups (spread ≤5.5)
1 of 15 games match this window
Avg combined points
Toss-up avg
53
Season avg
51.1
Pressure impact
+1.9
Avg flags
Toss-up avg
21
Season avg
11.7
Pressure impact
+9.3
Over rate
Toss-up avg
100.0%
Season avg
46.7%
Pressure impact
+53.3 pp
Over benchmark: 50.6 combined points · Seasons: 2020-21, 2021-22, 2022-23, 2023-24, 2024-25, 2025-26 · 15 total games in sample
Team effects versus baseline
Team performance comparisons are withheld until same-window team baselines clear sample gates. Raw records alone can overstate the official's relationship with strong or weak teams.
Career
Career evolution
Season timeline of archetype and late-game sensitivity, with detailed metrics below.
2025-26Insufficient sample0 games
2024-25Insufficient sample0 games
2023-24Insufficient sample0 games
2022-23Insufficient sample0 games
2021-22Insufficient sample0 games
2020-21Insufficient sample0 games
Season
Style bucket derived from procedural vs. subjective foul mix and game-flow impact. Helps frame whether this ref tends to let play breathe or enforce structure.
Foul Ratio
How much an official's whistle rate shifts in close, late-game situations compared with the rest of the game. Positive values suggest they tighten up under pressure.
1-10 rating of how predictable this official's whistle volume is game to game. Higher scores mean steadier pacing; lower scores flag more volatile totals markets.
2025-26
Insufficient data (0 games, fewer than 10 required)
2024-25
Insufficient data (0 games, fewer than 10 required)
2023-24
Insufficient data (0 games, fewer than 10 required)
2022-23
Insufficient data (0 games, fewer than 10 required)
2021-22
Insufficient data (0 games, fewer than 10 required)
2020-21
Insufficient data (0 games, fewer than 10 required)
Related officials
Explore officials who frequently work with this official or show similar historical officiating patterns.
Frequent crew partners
Officials who have appeared on the same crew most often in the available dataset.
30 games · 0-100 index where 50 marks league norm. Higher is not automatically better.
This officialLeague norm (50)
Run stoppages40 index
50
How often this crew whistles during opponent scoring runs.
Scoring pace32 index
50
Combined scoring in this crew's games versus league average.
Whistle mix65 index
50
Contact and administrative whistle share relative to league norms.
3 metrics excluded due to insufficient event data
Index scores computed from 15 logged games in analysis window
Quick compare
How to read this profile
Against the spread: whether the home team beat the sportsbook point spread (not just who won). A home line of −5.5 means the home team must win by 6+ to cover. and Did both teams’ combined score finish above (over) or below (under) the closing total set by sportsbooks before tip-off? tables use The spread and total sportsbooks posted near tip-off. ATS and O/U tables here use that number, not our fixed 225 benchmark. per game. Where sportsbook closing lines are unavailable, ATS/O/U splits use estimated lines. Team penalty splits live on team pages. Tonight's assignment signals are on the CFB home page.
Scores and penalties from ESPN (1426 live-conference games, 474 with Sidearm officials). Coverage: 2020-21, 2021-22, 2022-23, 2023-24, 2024-25, 2025-26. 692 officials with game-level crew assignments. Ref game counts rebuilt from DISTINCT game_id in game logs.