The reality that college football is a billion-dollar business, with more money than ever on the table — now flowing to players in the world of NIL — should translate into tangible, obvious enhancements for the sport.
One obvious example: helmet speakers for players.
The NFL has had helmet speakers, facilitating direct communication with coaches from the sideline during games, for more than a decade.
College football is behind the times, just as it was on NIL for the past several years before recent reforms.
Believe it or not, college football doesn’t yet have helmet speakers. Chris Vannini of The Athletic noted that this technology was tested at a Grambling-Southern FCS game. It was a hit with everyone involved:
“I’m not gonna lie, it was perfect,” Grambling quarterback Elijah Walker said. “It helped me be more of a coach on the field, get the play in faster and communicate better.”
College football uses up-tempo offenses more frequently than the NFL, and some wonder if helmet communication would speed up offenses even more. But defensive coaches see a value in the communication as well. It allows them to speed up their adjustments and alignments, instead of solely waiting for the offensive set first.
“You can make in-drive adjustments instead of waiting for them to come to the sideline,” said former Southern interim head coach Jason Rollins, who called in the defensive plays in the game. “It’s like a walkie-talkie, where you hold the button and you can talk. … I loved everything about it.”
Seems like something the sport ought to do. So, why hasn’t this happened yet?
Vannini:
The SEC had conversations about it last spring, but there was disagreement among coaches, a source familiar with the conversations said. There’s also a concern about helmet liability and warranty. Sources in each Power 5 conference confirmed there have been brief discussions at some point in recent years in their leagues.
Hopefully, common sense will prevail…
Click Here to Read the Full Original Article at Football | Trojans Wire…