Sarah Thomas will make history as the first woman to officiate in a Super Bowl. #SBLV pic.twitter.com/9AmsgjC7Qr
— NFL (@NFL) January 19, 2021
The 47-year-old woman, who was also the National Football League (NFL)’s first full-time female official in 2015, became the first woman to referee at the Super Bowl on February 7.
Thomas had made her regular-season debut when Houston Texans had hosted the Kansas City Chiefs on September 13, 2015. The first playoff game she officiated was in 2019.
She was also the first woman to officiate an important college football game and a Big Ten stadium.
Social media users, including Jill Biden, cheered her for breaking the grass ceiling and inspiring generations to come once again.
I’m cheering you on today, Sarah Thomas! #SuperBowl https://t.co/eh2XCjBWxq
— Jill Biden (@FLOTUS) February 7, 2021
Great to see a Female referee at the #SuperBowl .. About time— Anthony Tierney (@anthonytierney) February 8, 2021
A breaking-the-glass-ceiling day for the first female referee to ref in the Super Bowl.
— Laura (@Bookworm) February 8, 2021
Congrats to Sarah Thomas of Brandon, MS for being the first female referee to officiate a #SuperBowl. Way to go Sarah, I love seeing you out on the field! https://t.co/NEx5UsTN5p— Sen. Marsha Blackburn (@MarshaBlackburn) February 8, 2021
You can be anything you put your mind to! Thank you Sarah Thomas, hard work and determination = success. First female referee of a Super Bowl. pic.twitter.com/NUsvlaAfA1
— S. Pedersen (@PRNPedersen) February 7, 2021
Shout out to Sarah Thomas, the first female referee in a Super Bowl way to be an awesome role model for girls and women everywhere! #WomenInSports— Kaitlyn Giles (@GilesKait) February 8, 2021