Bopp was a high school basketball official for 36 years before he retired in 2021. He also spent more than a dozen years officiating college games.
Bopp, who lives in Concolalla, graduated from Sandpoint High in 1978 where he played basketball, which began him on a life journey involved with the sport.
Bopp began officiating games in 1984 and during that time he worked 38 Idaho high school state tournaments, including 20 boys tournament and 18 on the girls side. That allowed him to work a state tournament in five different decades. He probably would have worked more if not for a rule that prohibited referees from working more than one state tournament each year.
His officiating career wasn’t limited to the high school ranks. He officiated junior college games in the Scenic West and NWAC conferences for 13 years.
Bopp did miss the 2004-05 season officiating because he dislocated his hip after an ATV accident while elk hunting.
During his career, he was a member of the North Idaho Officials Association and a member of the executive board for 30 years. He served one term as the NIOA president. He also is serving as the District I Basketball Commissioner since 2022.
Bopp has received several honors during his career, including the National Federation Official’s Association Boys Basketball Official of the Year in 2000 and 2001. He was selected to the North Idaho Officials Association Hall of Fame in 2019, and he received the IHSAA Distinguished Service Award for District 1 in 2022.