Texas Tech Raises Issue With Helmet Communications Being on Unencrypted Frequencies

Red Raiders athletic director Kirby Hocutt voiced concerns over college football's new technology.

A Texas Tech helmet before the Red Raiders' 2024 game against Baylor. / Michael C. Johnson-Imagn Images

Amid concerns over the encryption of helmet communication in college football, Texas Tech is asking the Big 12 to provide reports on the integrity of two of its recent games.

According to a Wednesday afternoon report from Max Olson of ESPN, helmet communication throughout college football this season has been conducted on insecure frequencies—frequencies that could theoretically be accessible to anyone.

"We've got to have a game whose integrity is not questionable in any way on a Saturday afternoon," Red Raiders athletic director Kirby Hocutt told Olson of his requests. "We owe it to the 120 young men on our football team to ensure that happens, that it's a game of fair competition and the same set of rules are enforced."

The games Texas Tech is seeking clarity on are its 59–35 loss to Baylor on Oct. 19 and its 35–34 loss to TCU on Saturday. The Red Raiders play Iowa State Saturday in Ames, Iowa.

GSC, the company that provides the helmet communication devices, is reportedly in the process of encrypting them with a software update. This season is the first in which helmet communication has been legal throughout FBS.

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