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Everything to Know About the New College Football Rule Changes for the 2024 Season
College football is almost back, and it'll look just a little different in 2024.
We're just weeks away from the launch of another college football season, and with it another chance for teams around the country to vie for conference championships, bowl games, and of course, a shot at the College Football Playoff.
One of the great joys of college football is watching it evolve every year, as players depart for the pros, new stars enter the game, and teams shift conferences. But of course, with those changes also come with new rules, and the 2024 is no different.
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So, ahead of the return of Big Ten and Notre Dame Football to NBC and Peacock this season, let's take a look at the big rules changes the NCAA has implemented for 2024.
The Major Rule Changes Coming to College Football in 2024: Two-Minute Warnings, Helmet Comms, and More
Two-Minute Warnings
Timing rules for NCAA football games have been gradually shifting to line up more with NFL rules in recent years, and now that shift takes another big step with the implementation of a two-minute warning. When two minutes remain in both the first half and the second half, the game takes an automatic timeout before resuming play, giving teams an extra tool in their clock management arsenals.
RELATED: All the NFL's New Rule Changes for the 2024 Football Season: Everything to Know
The two-minute warning has been a time-honored piece of pro football procedure for decades, so it's no surprise to see the NCAA finally follow suit, and it should make for some thrilling moments on the field. In addition to implementing the two-minute warning, the NCAA also announced that, during the final two minutes of each half, the clock will stop on a first down while the chains are moved, which sets the two-minute period apart from the rest of the game, where the NCAA recently ruled that the clock will run after first downs are gained inbounds.
Helmet Communication
Another rule change that lines college football up more closely with the pros, the NCAA has approved helmet communication systems for all FBS schools competing in football this season. It's optional, which means one team might have helmet comms on while the other doesn't, and it applies to just one player on the field per team at a time. That means that each team can designate an offensive player (usually the quarterback) and a defensive player (usually a linebacker) to wear the in-helmet communications and receive signals from the sidelines.
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Just like in the NFL, the player with the in-helmet communication system will be identified by a green dot placed on the back of their helmet. That player will be able to receive communications directly from a coach on the sideline up until 15 seconds remain on the game clock, or the ball is snapped, whichever comes first. After the point, the comms will be shut off until the next play. It's a rule change that's been brewing in the NCAA for a while, with the occasional on-field experiment, but this is the first year it will be available to every team in every game. Why the change? Well, in the past college football teams have relied on sideline signals (either hand gestures, symbols on play cards, or a combination thereof) to get plays to their on-field leaders, but with rising concerns over signal-stealing in the 2023 season, it seems like the time is now right to try a more covert way of play calling.
New Horse Collar Tackle Rule
For 2024, the NCAA has updated its guidance on horse collar tackles –– tackles when the defender grabs the ball carrier by the collar of their shoulder pads –– creating a 15-yard personal foul penalty for horse collars that occur within the tackle box (the space in the backfield between the two offensive tackles).
Previously, horse collars in the open field had been fouls, while those in the tackle box were not considered fouls.
Other New College Football Rule Changes for 2024
While the two-minute warning rule is the biggest change this season, and the helmet communications are a big new technological change, there are a couple of other smaller changes worth nothing as we head into the 2024 season.
- Sideline Tablets - Teams will be allowed the use of up to 18 tablets on the sidelines and in the coaches box during games, which are to be used only for in-game video and cannot be connected to other devices.
- Collaborative Replay Review System - All teams will now have the option to use collaborative replay review (meaning review from officials watching from conference offices) during games. The rule had previously been implemented in select conferences and was experimental, but will now be formally added to the rule book.
- Sideline Interviews - Coaches will now be allowed to conduct broadcast TV interviews at the end of the first and third quarters of games. Previously broadcasters were only allowed to interview coaches on-camera at the end of the first half and the end of the game.
College football returns to NBC and Peacock when the defending national champion Michigan Wolverines take on the Fresno State Bulldogs at 7:30 p.m. ET on August 31, and be sure to stick around for the Big Ten and Notre Dame action all season long.
