Are NFL rule changes going to trickle down to NCAA?

The current hot topic in the world of sports is the recent rule changes approved by the National Football League earlier this week at the owners meetings.

Starting in 2024, the league is banning the hip-drop tackle, in which a player uses his weight to bring the ball carrier down to the ground by his waist. The NFL is also overhauling the kickoff format, adopting an XFL variation.

Kickers will continue to kick from the 35-yard line, but the other 10 players on the kicking team will line up at the opponent’s 40-yard line. At least nine members of the return team will line up in the setup zone between their own 30- and 35-yard lines. Up to two returners will line up in the landing zone, which is between the goal line and 20-yard line.

Here’s a diagram to help you visualize the NFL’s new kickoff play:

The new era of kickoffs pic.twitter.com/oweXlx4Jj1

— Jonathan Jones (@jjones9) March 26, 2024

While this is obviously an NFL topic, it isn’t hard to see a future where these changes trickle down to the college level. Earlier this week, I talked on the “Sco-ing Long” podcast with my co-host Jonathan Stewart, an Oregon legend and former Pro Bowl running back with the Carolina Panthers, to get his take on the changes.

“First of all, I understand. But, what are we doing here? Are we becoming the XFL?” Stewart said. “I understand it from the standpoint that there was this dead product on the field in kickoff returns. Everyone was kicking it out of the end zone. The problem with that is it’s now going to be harder for the kickoff unit to stop the kickoff return. It should be hard to get first downs. It should be hard to get yards. It should be hard to score points. Now you’re taking the element of defense out of the game.”

Ultimately, we are likely to see an uptick in production from an offensive perspective, not only due to the kickoff rules leading to better field position, but because of the banning of the hip-drop tackle that led to injuries…