NCAA makes key change to college football overtime rule

College football overtime will look a bit different starting in 2021.

In a set of rule changes announced Thursday by the NCAA, teams will now be required to attempt a two-point conversion following a touchdown starting in the second overtime period. Previously, this requirement kicked in at the third overtime.

In addition, the so-called two point conversion “shootout,” in which both teams will trade alternating two-point attempts, begins in the third overtime, a change from the fifth. Both changes are meant to try to reduce the chance of lengthy overtime periods.

While multi-overtime classics can be great viewing for fans, they’re also absolutely brutal for the players involved. Protecting players from physical issues has to be the main priority, and it’s just not feasible to ask them to play seven or eight full overtimes, hence these changes.