The Super Bowl will have its first female official. Meet Sarah Thomas

Sarah Thomas will make history by becoming the first woman to officiate a Super Bowl, the NFL announced Tuesday.

“Sarah Thomas has made history again as the first female Super Bowl official,” NFL executive vice president of football operations Troy Vincent said in a statement, according to ESPN. “Her elite performance and commitment to excellence has earned her the right to officiate the Super Bowl. Congratulations to Sarah on this well-deserved honor.”

Thomas will work as the down judge.

The naming of Thomas to the officiating crew comes off an historic few months for women in the sports world, including Vanderbilt kicker Sarah Fuller becoming the first female to score points in a Power Five football game, San Antonio Spurs Becky Hammon becoming the first woman to act as head coach of an NBA team, and Bianca Smith becoming the first Black woman to coach in Major League Baseball (the Boston Red Sox).

Thomas was hired as the first full-time woman official in the NFL in 2015. In Jan. 2019, Thomas became the first woman on-field official in NFL playoff history during the divisional round game between the New England Patriots and the Los Angeles Chargers, Pro Football Network said.

According to SB Nation, Thomas officiated high school games for 10 years before diving into college games. After going to the pros in 2015, Thomas expressed that she wants people to talk about her as an official, not just a “female” official.

“As women, the way we carry ourselves speaks a lot,” she said to SB Nation. “Field presence is what they talk about. But you can still be a woman, you can be attractive, and whatever way you carry yourself speaks volumes to the reception. A man may feel as if may he can have his way or whatever, but I just think that when we carry ourselves with confidence, and walk into a room with confidence, the atmosphere kind of changes.”