Alabama coach Nick Saban has a solution to the problem of signal stealing in college football. In light of the NCAA’s investigation into No. 2 Michigan’s alleged use of an illegal signal stealing scheme, Saban sees some form of headset communication as an answer to the controversial topic.
“If you look at the history, you’ll know there were reasons why they (the NFL) changed the rules so you couldn’t do that (sign stealing),” Saban said on The Pat McAfee Show. “Then they put the microphone in the helmet, whatever they call it, and there was no sign stealing. There were no signs because it was just communication. I think we would solve a lot of these problems if we did the same thing in college football.”
“There’s no reason not to do it. There’s no reason why you can’t tell the quarterback what the strategy is rather than having signs and signals and three people signaling and all that kind of stuff to try to get the strategy, which is harder on the players, by the way, because they all have to get the signal because everybody went without a huddle.”
Stealing signals is not inherently illegal in college football, but electronic recording and in-person scouting of future opponents are. The NCAA’s investigation into Michigan focuses on off-field analyst Connor Stalions, who allegedly purchased tickets to 30 games at 11 Big Ten stadiums while carrying out a scheme that violated NCAA rules against in-person scouting of future opponents.
Saban was an assistant coach in the NFL when headset communication was introduced. According to Dennis Dodd of CBS SportsThe NCAA rules committee is offering college teams the option of having coach-player communication via headsets for the 2023-24 season. This appears to be the first step toward a future where college football will embrace this technology.
Different rules for power conference teams
The problem is the cost and the disparity between the different levels of college football. Power Conference teams could easily afford the technology and assume the risks that come with it. However, some programs — even at the FBS level — don’t have access to the same level of funding. Saban doesn’t think economic disparities should hold back progress.
“It’s important that we have opportunities for all levels of college football players,” Saban said. “I’m all for it and I’m all for supporting it. But for those who play in leagues like ours, who have the funds to do it, in the SEC or the Big Ten or the Big 12, whatever it is, we should be able to do it. The Power Five conferences should be able to do it.”
“There’s such a difference that we shouldn’t live by the same rules. It’s like taxes, you know. I mean, some people who make a lot of money pay a lot more taxes than people who don’t make a lot of money. Well, we should have the same kind of differentiation of rules in college sports, which we’ve always tried to manage in the same way, but it’s not the same thing.”
