NBC Sports hires ex-ref Terry McAulay as on-air rules analyst

Referee Terry McAulay makes a call during an NFL football game between the Cleveland Browns and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers Sunday, Nov. 2, 2014, in Cleveland. The Browns won 22-17. (AP Photo/David Richard)

NEW YORK — NBC Sports has hired former NFL official Terry McAulay as an on-air rules analyst for its coverage of “Sunday Night Football” and Notre Dame football.

McAulay retired recently after 20 years as an on-field NFL game official, and a college football officiating administrator for the past 10 seasons.

McAulay will be onsite at “Sunday Night Football” and Notre Dame games, moving between the broadcast booth during the game and the studio set for pregame and halftime shows.

McAulay was a referee for 17 of his 20 NFL seasons (1998-2017), previously serving as a side judge and a field judge. He led the officiating crew in three Super Bowls and worked 15 additional NFL playoff games.

Also, he was the American Athletic Conference’s coordinator of football officiating since 2008 (the Big East Conference from 2008-13). As an on-field college official, McAulay was the referee for the Nebraska-Tennessee national championship game in January 1998.