Nick Saban advocates for 1 change to college football amid sign-stealing

Oct 21, 2023; Tuscaloosa, Alabama, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide head coach Nick Saban does his traditional walk around at Bryant-Denny Stadium before a game against the Tennessee Volunteers. Mandatory Credit: Gary Cosby Jr.-USA TODAY Sports

Nick Saban thinks one change to college football is in order, especially in response to the sign-stealing scandal at Michigan.

The Michigan Wolverines have been accused of breaking NCAA rules by scouting future opponents in-person ahead of meetings, and by using electronic means to steal signals.

The matter of stealing signs is not an issue in the NFL. Any concerns over sign-stealing have dissipated in MLB. Why? Because both leagues use technology that eliminate the need for most signs. Saban says that college football should implement that technology to make sign-stealing moot.

“I do think the helmet communicator is probably a real positive thing for the game,” Saban said Wednesday, via the Tuscaloosa News. “You can’t steal signs and do any of this stuff if you have a helmet communicator. I think it would be a good thing. I think it has worked out well in the NFL, and I also think it would be good to have one guy on defense you could tell that guy what the call is and not have to go through all this signaling process.”

Even if college football didn’t implement helmet communicators, they could still approve technology, such as the PitchCom devices used in MLB now. There are ways to work around the sign stealing that has become a concern.

Why hasn’t college football implemented this sort of technology yet? There has been some talk about concerns that warranties on football helmets would be voided. There has also been talk that the costs could be an issue.

Whatever the case, the NCAA needs to move forward with communication devices to end this nonsense.