OSU Football: NCAA Approves Technology Rules for 2024
College football will officially look different again next season.
Amid the constantly changing landscape of college sports, with the transfer portal and NIL deals running wild, the product on the field will have a new look in 2024. On Thursday, the NCAA Playing Rules Oversight Panel approved proposed changes to college football, which will take effect next season.
In the FBS, teams will now have a single player who can communicate with a coach while on the field through their helmet. The player who can receive communication from their coach will have a green dot on the back of their helmet and all communication will shut off with 15 seconds on the play clock.
This is another step for college football as it trends in the direction of the NFL. The NCAA also approved another rule that will make college games look more professional, with the addition of a two-minute timeout.
Essentially the same as the NFL’s two-minute warning, the clock will stop at the two-minute mark of the second and fourth quarters. The stoppages will coincide with the changes in timing rules, such as the clock stopping after first downs and 10-second runoffs.
Technology will also play a large part in how teams strategize on the sidelines using tablets. Teams will have up to 18 tablets available for use, which can display film from that game. The broadcast angles and the coach’s sideline and end zone will be available for viewing. No other data can be used with the tablets and the film can’t be broadcast onto a larger device.
Other changes include 15-yard penalties for horse collar tackles in the tackle box and the ability for coaches to be interviewed by broadcast partners after the first and third quarters.
Although these changes will not necessarily give Oklahoma State any advantages, having Mike Gundy as coach lends a sense of ease as the game evolves. Gundy and his teams have successfully adapted to and used changes to their advantage throughout his 19 years as head coach.
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Ivan is a sports media student at Oklahoma State University. He has covered OSU athletics since 2022 and also covers the OKC Thunder for Inside The Thunder and Thunderous Intentions.