According to ESPN sources, it has been revealed that coach-to-player in-game communications in Power 4 college football games this season are taking place on unencrypted frequencies. This means that the signals and information exchanged between coaches and players are not securely protected from interception and potential exploitation by unauthorized individuals.
This discovery raises serious concerns regarding the confidentiality and integrity of these communications. By operating on unencrypted frequencies, there is a significant risk of opposing teams, potential rivals, or even malicious entities gaining access to sensitive game plans, and other crucial information.
Texas Tech athletic director Kirby Hocutt said he raised the issue during a call with Big 12 athletic directors Tuesday, after learning the Red Raiders’ helmet communications were unencrypted and accessible to anyone with a scanner and knowledge of how to locate the frequencies.
The Big 12 has instructed its 10 schools playing games this weekend to send their helmet communication devices back to GSC, the provider for all 68 Power 4 teams this year, for a software update that would provide encryption, sources confirmed to ESPN.
The modules and cutoff switches are expected to be updated and returned in time for Saturday’s games.
The Athletic first reported the Big 12’s equipment request.
“We’ve got to have a game whose integrity is not questionable in any way on a Saturday afternoon. We owe it to the 120 young men on our football team to ensure that happens, that it’s a game of fair competition and the same set of rules are enforced.”
Texas Tech has requested a report from the Big 12 on its recent games against TCU and Baylor to ensure the integrity of the games were not compromised, and the conference is accommodating that request.
“We’ve got to have a game whose integrity is not questionable in any way on a Saturday afternoon,” Hocutt told ESPN. “We owe it to the 120 young men on our football team to ensure that happens, that it’s a game of fair competition and the same set of rules are enforced.”
No schools have made specific allegations that an opponent may have accessed their in-game frequencies, and several Big 12 and Power 4 coaches and staffers have questioned whether a competitive advantage could be gained if that did occur.
Proactive steps must be taken to prioritize the security and privacy of coach-to-player communications in Power 4 college football games. The use of encryption technology is a necessary measure to combat potential threats and preserve the fairness and competitiveness of the sport.
