Helmet Communication to Be Allowed in Bowl Games

[Volunteer_Kirby]

The future of college football's great communication debate

The NCAA Football Rules Committee approved the communication technology experiment in the summer, after a request from the Big Ten to allow communication and sideline technology in games during the season. The use of video technology in bowls was just approved last week.

 

[Volunteer_Kirby]

This will include the use of tablets on the sideline.

SIAP merge if necessary

 

[Volunteer_Kirby]

Will not be allowed in the CFP.

This December, teams will be allowed to use communication technology in non-College Football Playoff bowl games.

 

[Godfatha]

Kinda about time, geez. I think some high schools are doing it now. NCAA, always a decade behind.

 

[CAVPUT]

The future of college football's great communication debate

So....what's to stop rivals...cough, cough...Michigan/bama/uga...from hacking and stealing the transmissions?

 

[fossilfiction]

Inevitable that someone is going to manage to hear the other team's signal and listen. Doesn't mean it shouldn't happen, but that will be a huge story when it happens.

 

[AstonRoyal]

I don't know how this will affect us, there are times where we line up to see what the defense is doing and then make a call. Might be tricky if they're only allowed 10 seconds to call in the play or something like that. We may still have to use hand signals or some variation of it.

 

[Enki_Amenra]

Wii all probably make Neyland less effective for Penalties due to crowd noise.

 

[Vol865]

Wrs still would have to get signals though, no?

 

[eskimovol]

So....what's to stop rivals...cough, cough...Michigan/bama/uga...from hacking and stealing the transmissions?

Each team could just use their own equipment and encryption. I feel like if opposing teams hacking in was a concern we’d have heard NFL teams constantly complaining over the years.

 

[preacherrandy]

I don't know how this will affect us, there are times where we line up to see what the defense is doing and then make a call. Might be tricky if they're only allowed 10 seconds to call in the play or something like that. We may still have to use hand signals or some variation of it.

I think I remember someone saying that the mics cutoff at the 15 second mark in the NFL. Maybe it will be something like that. I think it would benefit the Vols by making them even faster.

 

[Voltopia]

More and more like the NFL every day.

 

[DooleyOrangePants]

Each team could just use their own equipment and encryption. I feel like if opposing teams hacking in was a concern we’d have heard NFL teams constantly complaining over the years.

Exactly. It’s not impossible to crack (or hack) encryption keys, but if done by a professional and using rolling keys and high encryption standard, it’s infinitely more difficult to get usable access to these frequencies.

Many will try. Certainly someone will succeed, but it’s not as easy as many try to make out.

I think it’s more probable that someone is able to take the communications on a given encrypted channel and given enough time, crack it. Wouldn’t happen during a game, but hours/days/months later. To counter that, changing signals/names/etc from game to game would make that almost worthless.

 

[VolArmy74]

So....what's to stop rivals...cough, cough...Michigan/bama/uga...from hacking and stealing the transmissions?

Hacking in that manner is a federal crime, not just an NCAA violation.

 

[Tin Man]

Is this in response to AT&T’s helmet tech for the Gallaudet Bison?

 

[wmcovol]

Like most things, NCAA sits on their ass & does nothing until a crisis occurs. An institution run by idiots.

 

[GAVol]

Wii all probably make Neyland less effective for Penalties due to crowd noise.

How? Once the play is called, everything will operate the exact same way.

 

[ntxVOL]

So....what's to stop rivals...cough, cough...Michigan/bama/uga...from hacking and stealing the transmissions?

If done correctly, each team brings their own equipment and the comms are encrypted. That way, if someone gets hacked, it's their own fault.

 

[lukeneyland]

The future of college football's great communication debate

I hate that because it reduces effect of crowd noise

 

[vegasvolfan]

The future of college football's great communication debate

Yeah if they are doing that then it’s coming in reg season

 

[GAVol]

I hate that because it reduces effect of crowd noise

I just asked this but I’ll ask again. How does giving the QB a radio in his helmet Change the impact of crowd noise?

 

[TCNC53]

Hacking in that manner is a federal crime, not just an NCAA violation.

If this was really an issue, why hasn’t this already happened or been exposed to have happened in the NFL? Seems like someone in the NFL would have already been all over this. GBO!

 

[Gandalf]

I just asked this but I’ll ask again. How does giving the QB a radio in his helmet Change the impact of crowd noise?

if they all have a radio then plays can be broadcast more easily - whole point of crowd noise is to keep the players from communicating with each other or the sidelines, either to make adjustments or run plays. If coaches can talk in their ear and a QB can speak to team mates, I think it dilutes homefield advantage everywhere a bit.

 

[GAVol]

if they all have a radio then plays can be broadcast more easily - whole point of crowd noise is to keep the players from communicating with each other or the sidelines, either to make adjustments or run plays. If coaches can talk in their ear and a QB can speak to team mates, I think it dilutes homefield advantage everywhere a bit.

It’s just speaking a play call rather than signaling it in. A coach might be able to ID the coverage and communicate for a few seconds but the element of crowd noise affecting communication and the snap count is still there.

 

[SockeyeVol]

if they all have a radio then plays can be broadcast more easily - whole point of crowd noise is to keep the players from communicating with each other or the sidelines, either to make adjustments or run plays. If coaches can talk in their ear and a QB can speak to team mates, I think it dilutes homefield advantage everywhere a bit.

I think what GAvol is saying is that only the QB will have the radio. So he still has to communicate to his 10 teammates the same as ever.

Are you thinking all 85 guys on the team will have helmet radios? That seems unlikely.