FRISCO, Texas — Last fall, the Texas Tech football program made headlines for partnering with STRIVR, a virtual reality company that works with several NFL franchises and other college programs. The STRIVR technology helps teams simulate game-like situations without the risk of injury. Cameras are strategically placed on the practice field, which will then give players a 360-degree view inside the headset.
Although Texas Tech finished that year with a 5-7 record, quarterback Patrick Mahomes II was able to take advantage of this emerging technology. He finished the season leading the country in passing yards, total offense, and total touchdowns. Mahomes was later drafted by the Kansas City Chiefs with the 10th overall pick in the 2017 NFL Draft.
At Big 12 Media Day on Monday, senior wide receiver Cameron Batson confirmed that virtual reality an important part of the team’s preparation as the Red Raiders approach next season.
“It’s a great experience,” Batson told SportTechie. “You can put on the headset and see everything, zoom in and zoom out. It’s pretty much 360 degrees. I feel like it’s one of the best programs out there as a far as film watching goes.”
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During the Red Raiders’ 2016 campaign, VICE in conjunction with Samsung released the documentary series “Chasing Perfection.” Part of the series highlighted the use of virtual reality, which included glowing reviews from head coach Kliff Kingsbury and linebacker D’Vonta Hinton.
“I think football is perfect for virtual reality because we can only practice so many reps out on the field,” Kingsbury said. “The more we can put in those situations through virtual reality, the better and the quicker it comes to them. And if you have that, you have a chance every Saturday.”
“Virtual reality is like practicing without practicing,” said Hinton. “It just makes me react faster.”