Passionate tailgaters fill the stands at Tiger Stadium in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, as a new element joins the traditional game day festivities: iPads on the sidelines. In April, the NCAA approved a rule allowing college football teams to use up to 18 tablets during games. The ACC, SEC, and Big Ten conferences have chosen iPad for their game day needs.
Doug Aucoin, LSU's director of video, praised the new technology: “The new iPad Pro with the nano-texture display technology is unbelievable.” He noted that without this feature, viewing footage on sunny days would be nearly impossible. The iPad Pro’s glass reduces glare while maintaining image quality and contrast.
Matt Bairos from Catapult explained how in-game video works: independent videographers capture footage which is then logged and sent to coaches' iPads. This allows players to make real-time adjustments.
DVSport provides software for ACC and Big Ten teams. Brian Lowe, DVSport’s president and CEO said: “DVSport’s work with Apple is a great example of new software and hardware working together.”
Coaches like Mike Saffell from UC Berkeley find iPads enhance coaching effectiveness by providing live feedback. Cal's quarterback Fernando Mendoza appreciates being able to make adjustments off-field before returning to play.
Bairos highlighted the seamless integration due to familiarity with iPads. Billy Glasscock from Ole Miss mentioned using Apple Pencil Pro for drawing plays over video clips.
Players also benefit from this technology. Alex Mirabal of Miami shared an instance where reviewing footage helped correct mistakes during a game against Cal. Isaiah Horton noted that it aids player-to-player coordination by providing visual context.
Aucoin reflects on his father's legacy in pioneering in-game reviews for the NFL: “It went from Polaroid cameras...to thermal printers… and now we’ve evolved into the iPads.”
