College football and the NFL have had some notable differences over the years that help differentiate the product on the field. But on Friday, the NCAA announced several changes to the college game that will make it look a lot more like professional football.
One of the biggest scandals of the college football season last year came when Michigan recruiting staffer Connor Stalions was found to have been involved in a sign-stealing controversy that resulted in then-head coach Jim Harbaugh being suspended for three games.
In an effort to stop sign-stealing in college football, the NCAA decided on Friday that they will be allowing in-helmet communications for quarterbacks and defensive captains which will allow them to relay the play calls to their team without the need for signs from the sidelines.
This is something that has been allowed in the NFL since 1994. So it certainly makes sense that the NCAA has finally implemented this rule given the recent controversy with sign-stealing.
In addition to this, the NCAA will also now allow teams to watch in-game video on the sidelines via tablets, which is another thing that the NFL has long been doing.
The final rule change that perhaps may be the one most noticed by fans weekly is that college football will now have a two-minute warning at the end of each half. Again, this is similar to the two-minute warnings that happen at the end of both the second and fourth quarters in the NFL.
It should certainly be interesting to see how these changes make a difference in the college football product next season.
About Reice Shipley
Reice Shipley is a staff writer for Comeback Media that graduated from Ithaca College with a degree in Sports Media. He previously worked at Barrett Sports Media and is a fan of all things Syracuse sports.