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http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/eye-on...re-sarah-thomas-as-first-female-game-official
Sarah Thomas has been in the NFL officiating pipeline for some time. (USATSI)
The NFL has hired its first female official, according to the Baltimore Sun's Aaron Wilson.
Sarah Thomas, who became the first female to officiate an NCAA football game in 2007, has previously been a finalist for the NFL job.
Thomas has been on the league's radar for seven years. NFL VP of officiating Dean Blandino said in 2013 that "She was in our pipeline for a while," but noted that making the leap to NFL official takes time for any prospective official.
She technically wouldn't be the first female to officiate an NFL game; Shannon Eastin earned that distinction when she worked as a replacement ref early in the 2012 season.