As the play clock ticks down, the eyes of all 22 players shift to their respective sidelines, everyone looking for one thing: an incoming signal for a play call. To keep the signals secret, there are multiple people in different colored shirts, each with different hand signs and movements, but he is the only one who makes the play calls.
Those days are over.
On April 19, the NCAA voted to formally approve the use of helmets with coach-player communication systems ahead of the 2024 football season. Several teams will have a chance to test the new system during the 2023 bowl season, and all schools in the Football Bowl Subdivision will now have the option to use the technology in their games. No team uses the new communication system.
For Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian, this was an adaptation he advocated throughout the 2023 season. He used the communications system during his brief stint in the NFL with the Atlanta Falcons in 2017-2018.
The new technology features headsets for coaches where microphones are fed directly to speakers inside players' helmets. His two players on the field, the quarterback and designated defensive player, wear helmets and are identified by a green dot on the back.
On November 16th, Sarkisian clarified his position regarding in-helmet communication.
“I don't have to deal with sign stealing because everyone's writing articles saying, 'Why is there no coach-player communication in college football?'” Sarkisian said. “I spend half my week changing signals and signs instead of coaching football games. Please write an article.”
The comments come days after the Big Ten announced it would take disciplinary action against University of Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh, suspending him for three games to avoid an investigation by the conference. It came out later. Harbaugh sat out the team's final three regular season games against Penn State, Maryland State and Ohio State.
According to ESPN, Harbaugh violated the Big Ten's sportsmanship code and “conducted unauthorized in-person scouting activities over multiple years, resulting in an unfair competitive advantage that undermined the integrity of the competition.” He was suspended for causing the injury.
However, his suspension did not affect the team in the slightest. On January 8, 2024, Harbaugh and the Wolverines hoisted the College Football Playoff National Championship trophy. Although the University of Michigan was the top team in college football for much of the season, it was not without controversy.
The addition of headsets between coaches and players will effectively eliminate sign stealing from the sport.
“Everything makes sense to me,” Sarkisian said. “Obviously, there's not a lack of money in the college football world. The whole idea that colleges that can't do that are at a competitive disadvantage or that their stadiums don't have that kind of technology. I don’t agree. I don’t understand.”
Sarkisian believes this is the perfect solution to the sign sealing dilemma and is a major proponent of acquiring new technology and being ready to play next season.
“Are we talking about sign stealing? It's like, let's fix the problem,” Sarkisian said. “Let's communicate between players and coaches and move forward.”
That's exactly what the NCAA is doing. Coach-player communications were proposed by the NCAA Football Rules Committee on March 1st. Since then, coaches have been able to use headsets during spring practice, and Sarkisian is no exception.
The in-helmet communication system is very similar to that used in the NFL, allowing quarterbacks to listen to their coaches, and defensive players are equipped with speakers in their helmets. According to the NCAA, the communication system inside the helmet will be shut down when the play clock reaches 15 seconds or the ball is snapped, whichever comes first.
In addition to the in-helmet communication system, teams can also use up to 18 tablets to analyze plays. Coaches will have access to tablets on the sideline, coaching booth and locker room.
Sarkisian wasted no time and began using the system with redshirt junior quarterback Quinn Ewers during the first spring practice on March 19. The biggest change for Ewers will be that he will no longer have to look to the sideline to hear play calls directly. his ears. Coach Sarkisian started adjusting Ewers as early as possible, although he expects him to still be on the sideline and not completely unsigned.
Sarkisian knows he has to adapt to how easy it is to feed information to Ewers.
“The challenge for me is how much information is quality, good information,” Sarkisian said. “According to your analysis, when does it cross the threshold of being too much and becoming a little paralyzing?”
Direct communication between coaches and quarterbacks influences the game in ways beyond what is directly advertised. Not only does it take away the ability to steal signs, but it can also be used to dictate the pace of the game. Another added benefit is that this technology helps prepare college quarterbacks for the NFL, which has been around for about 20 years.
Ewers started using the headset on the first day of spring practice and quickly adapted.
“I love it,” Ewers said. “I think it makes things a little bit easier for me. Of course we're still in the cusp, but Sark is teaching us the plays in the helmet. The first day was a little shaky as I got used to it. However, I think it will be very useful.”
After the 2023 season, Ewers decided to return to Texas for his junior year, wanting to be as prepared as possible for pro football. With the headset, teams won't have to worry about getting Ewers or any other future quarterback accustomed to using a headset.
“It can only help,” Ewers said.
On the defensive side of the ball, communication systems have a similar impact. Even though the offense dictates the pace of the game, the defense is no longer looking for signals or trying to get a play call before the ball is snapped.
In addition to a fast-paced offense without the huddle, the defense can also adapt to the tempo and not get caught looking for new play calls.
Senior linebacker David Gbenda said he probably won't wear a helmet with coach-player communication features, but he's looking forward to the impact it will have on the game.
“I feel like this makes (the game) go faster,” Gbenda said. “Instead of having to look to the side, I just look at the offense. … I look at what they're telling me and understand the lineman's body language and the receiver's body language. So I get to understand the players a little bit more, and I feel like it makes the game a lot faster and easier to understand.”
Controlling the tempo of the game is an age-old tactic, but it allows teams to control the game more effectively because coaches can direct plays immediately instead of beckoning.
The impact these headsets have on college football games may not be noticeable to fans, but players and coaches will notice the difference. One step closer to the NFL, the player will have one less thing to worry about as he prepares for his NFL Draft.
Another way college football mirrors the NFL is the addition of the two-minute warning. This automatically times out in the second and fourth quarters when the clock hits 2 minutes.
These changes will impact the game in a number of ways, and after a season filled with sign-stealing controversy, the communications system will force coaches to adjust their scouting tactics. For a team that has one of the best quarterbacks under center and an elite offensive mind behind the microphone, there are high hopes for his ability to improve with a new offense and new technology.
