Significant Rule Changes Incoming for College Football
College football is arguable becoming more and more like the NFL with each passing month. What began with transfer portal changes and NIL regulations a few years ago is progressing now with in-game rule changes which are making the game feel more and more like a professional sport than a collegiate one.
Here are the Rule Changes Recently Announced for College Football
Two Minute Warning - Like the NFL, college football will introduce the two minute warning in 2024. This was one of the things that made college feel different from the NFL in that this did not exist.
The two minute warning is not necessarily a big deal as in theory all it does is provide teams with a break in the action and an extra timeout, but nonetheless it is one more way that things are feeling more similar to the NFL.
Helmet Communication - The allegations against the Michigan Wolverines and former head coach Jim Harbaugh seem to have pushed this rule change along as sign stealing will no longer be a thing in college football. Like the NFL, helmet communication will now exist in college football.
The new rule allows the head coach to communicate up to 15 seconds before the play clock expires, or when the ball is snapped.
The head coach will be able to communicate to the quarterback on offense and one player of their choice on defense before every play.
One can see how coaches like Lane Kiffin view this change favorable. In an article with The Grove Report, Kiffin said, “I think it’s like having a cheat code in Madden offensively, and I don’t know that they’ve really thought defensively of what exactly that means.”
Not all coaches may feel the same, but for a coach that is known for being good enough to through his hands up in celebration before plays even happen based on the look of the defense, it is no wonder why Kiffin is ready for this rule change.
With these two big rule changes combined with players transferring several times from team to team it seems, the 2024 season will have a feel like nothing before. Time will tell what it does to the sport of college football.