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Bit by bit, college football is inching closer to mirroring its professional counterpart in operation and structure, and the latest change is coming in the wake of Michigan football’s drama during the 2023 season.
The proposed change would add player-to-coach helmet communications to college football, eliminating the use of relaying signs from the sidelines to the huddle using signs.
Other sweeping changes include adding the use of tablets on the sideline to review game film live, as well as a two-minute warning, the NCAA announced Friday. The rule changes can be approved April 18 by the NCAA Playing Rules Oversight Panel to take effect in 2024.
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The helmet communications system would mirror the one used by the NFL, where one player on offense and one player on defense would have a listening device in their helmet, allowing them to receive play calls directly from a coach, eliminating the use of relaying calls through signs from the sideline. The communications would turn off with 15 seconds on the play clock or when the ball is snapped, whichever happens first.
“The use of technology has been on the committee’s agenda for several years, and the time is right to introduce it in NCAA football,” co-chair of the committee and vice president of football administration at the Big Ten Conference A.J. Edds said in a statement. “FBS conferences have partnered together to ensure the consistent application and work through the details of the technical requirements for implementation.”
The push to add helmet communications started in late October, after Michigan was accused of having an elaborate sign-stealing system. The news of the Michigan sign-stealing scandal emerged in late October, halfway through the regular season of the Wolverines’ national championship run. Michigan remains under investigation for having a robust sign-stealing operation, led by then-staffer Connor Stalions, who would allegedly pay individuals to go to future opponents’ games and film their coaches’ signs on the sideline to use for Michigan’s advantage in later matchups.
The Wolverines vehemently denied the allegations, but former head coach Jim Harbaugh was suspended for the final three games of the regular season by the Big Ten for violating the conference’s sportsmanship policy. Michigan initially filed a temporary restraining order fighting the suspension, but ended up dropping the case the day before it went to court. After Michigan won the national title, NCAA president Charlie Baker said Michigan’s victory was “fair and square.”
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The proposed change would hopefully eliminate a similar sign-stealing scandal from unfolding, by allowing direct communication from coaches to players through the helmet. The communication system was allowed in bowl games this season to test out the technology, but was barred from use in the College Football Playoffs.
The NFL has been using helmet communications since 1994 for offensive players and since 2008 on both sides of the ball. Players who have the radio in their helmet on the NFL level are distinguished with a green dot on their helmet.
The other changes would alter the look of a college game. The use of electronic tablets would be allowed on the sideline and in the halftime locker room to break down video, similar to how the NFL operates now. Teams would be able to have up to 18 tablets on the sideline, able to be used by all team personnel, and not be allowed to be connected to other devices.
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The two-minute timeout would mirror the NFL’s two-minute warning at the end of each half. The goal, the NCAA said, is to synchronize all timing rules such as a 10-second runoff and clock stoppages on first downs at the end of halves.
“The two-minute timeout will allow all end-of-half and end-of-game timing rules to be simplified and synch up with this timeout,” Steve Shaw, secretary-rules editor, said in a statement. “This will also help broadcast partners to avoid back-to-back media timeouts.”
2024-03-01 17:57:32
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