Sarah Thomas will make NFL History

NFL -- Sarah Thomas 46, will be the first woman to officiate an NFL playoff game on Sunday.

She is American football official and has seen a litany of football firsts.

Thomas was the first woman to referee a major college football game,first to officiate in a Big Ten stadium and the first to officiate a bowl game.

On Sunday, she will be the first woman to officiate an NFL playoff game as the Patriots and Chargers face off in the AFC divisional playoff. Kick off is at 1:05 p.m.

"The huge story of having the first female referee at a playoff game just shows how far behind the NFL is. They're catching up, but they have got a lot of steps to make it equal," Laura Ries, Atlanta-based branding expert and co-founder of consultancy Ries & Ries, tellsCNBC Make It. "But they're also doing it for bottom line. The NFL is getting publicity as elevating women to major roles, since they know that women are watching."

Here’s what you need to know:

1. She Will Work as a Down Judge in Sunday’s AFC Divisional Playoff Game

2. She Has Been a Referee Since 1996 & Officially Joined the NFL in 2015

3. She Is no Stranger to Breaking Gender Barriers

4. She Is Married & Has 3 Kids

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