The Collegiate Basketball Officials Association, Inc., now in its 53rd year was formally organized on June 8, 1948, with 37 charter members. The organization was an outgrowth of informal discussion among leading officials who envisioned such a need. The greatest impetus came from five men - Sam Schoenfeld, Hagen Andersen, Matty Begovich, John Nucatola and Lou Eisenstein. These men, motivated by a desire to further intercollegiate basketball and to improve basketball officiating, conducted informal meetings with the then Collegiate Basketball Officials Bureau (now Eastern College Men's Basketball Association), leading to the formation of CBOA. New officials have been added annually until today there are over 700 members in all divisions residing in Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Rhode Island, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Delaware, Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia.

The progress and growth of the Association have been steady. Its program including sectional meetings, annual yearbook, a comprehensive system of annual ratings used as the basis for promotions and demotions, annual physical examinations, providing individual written ratings to members, liability insurance, annual business meeting and the presentation of the sectional and Schoenfeld Sportsmanship Awards, the Russ Beisswanger Service Award and the John Nucatola Honorary Life Membership Award.

CBOA objectives now, as in its origin, have been to improve the standards of officiating for intercollegiate contests, promote officials to varsity and associate membership through an approved rating system, to cooperate with ECMBA by making available a roster of qualified officials for assignment to varsity and sub-varsity eastern collegiate basketball games to improve sportsmanship in such contests through the cooperation of ECMBA and its member institutions and to create appropriate working conditions for intercollegiate basketball officials.

UNITED WE STAND