Utah, Northwestern To Make Technological History In Las Vegas Bowl

LAS VEGAS – According to a report from Ross Dellenger of Yahoo Sports, Utah and Northwestern are set to make some technological college football history in the Las Vegas Bowl on Saturday.

The Utes and Wildcats will simultaneously use smart tablets and coach-to-player helmet communications on the field.

According to Dellenger’s report one or the other of the technologies has already been used in several bowl games so far this season, but this will be the first time both will be used in a single college football game.

This is pretty cool.#GoUtes https://t.co/l9XqFlls2E

— Michelle Bodkin (@BodkinKSLsports) December 21, 2023

The hope is these technology “experiments” during bowl season will become a permanent move for the college game moving forward. By comparison, the NFL has used coach-to-player helmet communications going on 30 years.

Sign Stealing Has Become A Hot Topic In College Football

By now we’ve all heard about the hullabaloo over Michigan and their alleged efforts to steal opponents’ signals. The scandal, has caused quite a stir in college football, sparking debate as to why the college game has been so slow to adopt technology the pros have been using forever.

Alabama coach Nick Saban addresses Michigan’s sign-stealing case ahead of Rose Bowl matchup https://t.co/0kfJtlCS02

— USA TODAY Sports (@usatodaysports) December 19, 2023

Utah head coach Kyle Whittingham weighed in on the conversation of sign earlier in the season and had some interesting things to say.

“If your signals are being stolen in game, it’s your fault,” Whittingham said. “If you’re that simplistic, that easy to read and that easy to decipher, that’s your problem, that’s not the opponent’s problem. I would never have a problem with teams trying to steal our signals. You’ve got guys looking at signals and trying to gain any advantage you can. That’s like telling your defenders, ‘Hey, close your eyes when they come out in the formation so you don’t know what information is.'”

Whittingham’s thoughts on the matter as college football currently stands are true. If the college game decides to continue forth without the technology, then it is on teams to make sure they have signs that can’t be easily deciphered.

However, if this 14-bowl game experiment works and the college game moves forward with the technology, sign-stealing should become a moot point.

Michelle Bodkin is the Utah Utes Insider for KSLsports.com and host of both the Crimson Corner Podcast (SUBSCRIBE) and The Saturday Show (Saturday from 10 a.m.–12 p.m.) on The KSL Sports Zone. Follow her on X, Instagram, and Threads: @BodkinKSLsports

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