Big 12: No foul play with unsecured helmet comms

• Max Olson, ESPN

  • Staff WriterOct 31, 2024, 02:07 PM ET Close Covers the Huge 12
  • Joined ESPN in 2012
  • Graduate of the University of Nebraska

The Huge 12 figured out Thursday that none of its games were compromised by unencrypted frequencies utilized with coach-to-player in-game interactions this season.Sources informed ESPN on Wednesday that the coach-to-player interactions for all Power 4 college football games this season have actually been on unencrypted frequencies, and Texas Tech asked for a report from the Huge 12 on its recent games against TCU and Baylor– both losses– to make sure the integrity of the games were not compromised.Athletic director Kirby Hocutt said he raised the issue during a call with Huge 12 athletic directors Tuesday, after discovering that anybody with a scanner and understanding of how to find the frequencies had access to those in-game communications.Editor’s Picks “Following the industry-wide concerns surrounding helmet interactions, the Big 12 performed a review of conference games and helmet interactions processes to resolve any issues member organizations raised regarding this matter,” the Big 12 said in a declaration issued Thursday. “The review revealed that at no point was any Big 12 competitors jeopardized.”

In addition, all Huge 12 helmet communication programs now have the upgrade from GSC that offers file encryption, and schools may use either CoachComm or GSC for coach-to-player interaction at their discretion.GSC is the helmet communication gadget company for all 68 teams in Power 4 conferences this season. “We’ve got to have a game

whose stability is not questionable in any method on a Saturday afternoon, “Hocutt told ESPN on Wednesday.”We owe it to the 120 young men on our football team to make sure that occurs, that it’s a game of reasonable competition and the same set of rules are enforced.”

The revelation that college football groups have actually not been utilizing encrypted frequencies has actually irritated a number of Huge 12 athletic directors, who believed the Power 4 schools had the very same encrypted setup utilized in the NFL, sources said.This is the very first college football season that the in-game usage of coach-to-player helmet interactions and tablets has been permitted at the FBS level. The NCAA approved the rules change in April, 6 months after introducing an examination into Michigan’s supposed signal-stealing plan under former staffer Connor Stalions.Football operations executives for the SEC, Big 12, Big Ten and ACC have worked together with GSC in the four weeks considering that to examine possible concerns and move to a more encrypted and safe and secure platform.Texas Tech (5-3, 3-2)chose to move forward with a different coach-to-player system with encrypted communication supplied by CoachComm for its game against No. 11 Iowa State on Saturday, sources said.A source at one Huge 12 school told ESPN that his staff purchased a scanner

earlier this month upon learning of the prospective vulnerability and achieved success in locating their own coach-to-player interaction frequency during a practice.The frequency does not relay all headset interactions in between coaches, which would be vital, but merely

what one coach says to one player on the field– normally a quarterback on offense and a linebacker on defense– and just when the coach is holding the button to speak to them before communication is cut off 15 seconds before the snap.” There’s no real advantage,” one Big 12 chief of personnel argued. “One, you’re speaking a different language. 2, if you believe you ‘d have the ability to enact in real time what they state and attempt to do it on the field, you’re delusional. You’re just being your stereotyped paranoid football coach. You can’t relay it to the kids quick enough.”