United Collegiate Umpires Announces
Rudy Firmbach as President

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – August 17, 2026 – United Collegiate Umpires (UCU), a member of the United Umpires family of organizations, today announced the appointment of Rudy Firmbach as President. In this role, Firmbach will provide leadership across collegiate operations, with a focus on strengthening client service, advancing the development of collegiate officials, and positioning UCU for continued growth.

Firmbach will collaborate with Alex Skandalis on Division III and junior college assignments while continuing to oversee collegiate summer baseball assignments. Skandalis will retain responsibility for all Division I assignments.

"I am honored by the opportunity to serve as President of United Collegiate Umpires," said Rudy Firmbach, CEO of United Umpires. "Alex and I have been friends and colleagues for a long time, and I deeply appreciate the confidence he has shown in me. If you had asked me years ago if I ever imagined having the opportunity to serve in a role like this, I probably would have said no. I am excited about the opportunity to serve our conferences, support our officials, and help build the next chapter of UCU. We have a tremendous group of people within this organization, and I look forward to working with them as we continue to grow."

Firmbach’s appointment reflects his continued leadership within United Umpires and his longstanding commitment to the development of collegiate baseball o.cials. Through his work across collegiate and summer baseball, he has built strong relationships with officials, conferences, assigners, and members of the broader baseball community.

"The growth of our organization has always been driven by the quality of our people, said Alex Skandalis, Chief Executive Officer of United Umpires, the parent company of United Collegiate Umpires. “Rudy has earned the respect of officials and members of the baseball community through his professionalism, sound judgment, and unwavering commitment to excellence. He understands what it takes to serve our conferences and, just as importantly, what it takes to develop, support, and advocate for our officials.”

“I am excited for the long-term impact Rudy will have on UCU,” added Skandalis. “We have built a strong foundation and developed outstanding relationships with conferences and officials throughout collegiate baseball. Rudy will play an important role in building on that foundation. Together with our conference partners and officials, we will continue to raise the level of service we provide, invest in the development of our officials, and position UCU for continued growth and success.”