It is officially less than one month away from the start of college football season and fans are biting at the bit to see touchdowns, big plays, and turnovers. After Big Ten Media Days, Iowa fans are ready to see their team on the field competing for a Big Ten title.
With a new season comes new underdogs, new teams competing for a title, new teams in new conferences, and this season, new rules. This season the NCAA is implementing six new rules that fans should be on the lookout for.
So before Hawkeyes fans can start the 2024 season, they should read up on the six new rules that will be seen this season.
2-minute warnings
Coming straight from the NFL, college football will now have 2-minute warnings at the end fo each half.
The clock will stop with two minutes left at the end of the second and fourth quarters. The clock will stop and an official timeout will be taken.
After the official timeout is over, the clock will run as usual unless a first down is converted adn then it will stop. While the clock is running under 2 minutes, if there is a pre-snap penalty it will result in the yardage and a 10-second runoff.
In-helmet communications
Coaches will now be able to communicate with one player on the field with in-helmet communications like they do in the NFL.
However, coaches will only be able to talk to the player with "the mic" until 15 seconds are left on the play clock or until the ball is snapped, whichever comes first. The players with the in-helmet communications will be identified with a green dot on the back of their helmet.
The NCAA did some testing with the devices during the 2023 bowl games and found it to have a lot of success.
Tablets for in-game video review
This will be one of the more visible rule changes for college football this season.
There will be 18 tablets on each sideline for coaches and staff to use to see in-game footage and review it with players to show them things they have done well and things they can learn from.
However, coaches and staff will not be able to access and look at any practice footage or past game footage.
Horse collar tackles within the tackle box will result in a 15-yard penalty
Horse collar tackles have always been a penalty in football, but now the NCAA is adding a little bit of clarity to the foul.
When an offensive player is tackled within the tackle box via a horse collar tackle, it will now result in a 15-yard penalty, and the defensive player will receive a personal foul.
Conference-wide video system review
There have always been video reviews in college football, but now each conference will have its own video-replay system. Now conferences will be able to help an official either confirm or overturn a call on the field.
Basically, you won't be seeing the officials looking at those little tiny black screens on the field trying to see the play anymore.
Head coach interviews after 1st and 3rd quarters
Fans only used to hear from head coaches either before or after halftime, but now fans will get to hear more from their favorite and not-so-favorite coaches.
Now on-field reporters will get to talk with coaches at the end of the first and third quarters, however, players will still not be available to speak with during games.