College football has just begun, but as any true fan of the game will attest, it never truly ends. The pursuit of NCAA compliance (and efforts to identify and leverage potential loopholes, police potential infractions and avoid potential downfall), the business of scouting and recruiting (and the dedication to improve those operations), off-season conditioning and training (and the advances to maximize health in preparation for a game working in direct opposition of it): all of these “off-season” endeavors and more have turned college football into a 365-day challenge.
Those challenges are not unique to college football, yet the environment is. While the professional setting tends to rely on traditional method, proven practice and experienced personnel, the collegiate ranks thrive in an atmosphere of the university, an environment encouraged by the potential gifts of theory, experimentation and innovation. It’s a game rich with history and tradition built on a foundation of diversity and mutation… an ideal setting for the marriage of football and technology.
As such, some of the most potent athletic innovations we’ve seen to date – both on and off the field – are born from college football. This progressive scene recently served as the focus of an insightful piece by Jon Swartz at USA TODAY, reviewing many of the technological advances pushed by the teams of the SEC this season. Respected as the preeminent power of the college football conference structure, these schools enjoy a wealth of funding and support and are actively leveraging those gifts to seek a competitive edge via technology…
… and while Swartz does a fantastic job of covering the overall scene, we found three unique tech efforts throughout college football that failed to register the attention, fascination and excitement deserved.
Guard Your Health
As always (well… not ALWAYS, but “as always” if you limit your view to the last three or four years), health is a top priority for the football universe. At the college and professional levels, we are watching society’s largest specimens touting insane physical gifts, and while there are expectations known and risks assumed, the priority of fighting injury and prolonged effects of the game has never been higher.
One of the most promising revelations in the battle against head injury has come via the mouthpiece. Helmet-to-helmet hits rule the headlines, but some of the most concerning injuries have resulted from plays void of direct contact to the head. Studies suggest the most potent (and available) in-game analysis available – in terms of measuring impact to the head – are available through the jaw, where X2 is becoming a household name.
X2 is in the business of customized mouthpieces manned with electronic sensors tracking a variety of actions during use. “Inside the mouthpiece we’ve embedded sophisticated electronics that measure the linear and rotational acceleration experienced by the players,” according to Christopher mack, CEO of X2. “The second thing that it does is flag unusual clusters of impacts to the sideline staff, and gives them hints that perhaps this is a good time to assess the player in more detail.”
A simple accelerometer application found in many smartphones today (see the wrist-flip camera on the new Moto X phone) is leveraged to track movement, resulting in a real-time system of notification for the mouthguard. The adjoining software adds the brilliance, integrating various movement measurements to signify a potentially-traumatic event and warning team trainers to proceed accordingly.
This system has two years of archived data with the Stanford University football program (recently chronicled by Susan Leigh Taylor with CBS Sports) and will not only continue to enhance their fight against injury moving forward, but will also play a significant role in the study of the effects of head trauma in search of improved diagnosis and treatment. If the smart kids on the block are bringing it to the field, we expect others have already followed their lead and will help X2 and others advance.
Let It Soak
Sticking with the topic of health – certainly a worthy cause for technological intervention in football – we stay in the PAC-12 where the University of Oregon has become a powerhouse on the field via an advanced (and extremely-well funded) program. The Ducks own what may be the most tech-advanced facility in collegiate sports (thank you, Nike), touting one of the impressive set of tubs you’ll find in any profession.
That’s right… tubs. More appropriately, cryogenic tubs.
Cryotherapy first became a process of acclaim in 2011 as spas, attempting to boost traffic from male customers, began offering these services specifically as treatment for inflammation, injury or soreness. Available via chamber or tub treatment, cryotherapy relies on intense cold. The body is introduced to small, quick sessions of various temperatures, typically starting at -5-degrees Fahrenheit and often as low as -180-degrees Fahrenheit, designed to encourage endorphin and adrenaline release (which, in turn, promotes increased health in the fight against inflammation within in the body).
While some experts suggest the tubs originally in use at Oregon and other facilities can be dangerous, some doctors have altered the regiment and instruments to serve as a catalyst for other health-promoting body functions. The trainers at Oregon are specific in noting their sessions are designed to release toxins following every practice session and game to help prevent sickness and injury, emphasizing prevention over treatment. Other teams have evolved the cryotherapy tech for similar prevention methods, and the instruments (those tubs) have advanced with them. The models in use at the University of Oregon today are reportedly worth over $100 million by themselves… and they own two.
To The Skies
Our last and most enticing piece of tech earns an illustrious honor: the most tantalizing tech headline of the college football offseason.
The mention of the word “drone” strikes a resounding-yet-varied chord amongst a large set of tech communities. Those concerned with security view drones as a painful form of surveillance evolution. Those working in government suggest drones are the new age of protection, not only for the people they protect but also for those who serve (putting an unmanned craft in harm’s way rather than a human). In college football circles, drones are an extension of the enemy, the work of the devil (though we can’t seem to agree who “the devil” is), and a true test of the moral versus the driven.
In April, the University of Tennessee shared a Vine video with the caption, “The drone getting warmed up.”
Per report from Kevin Duffey at Saturday Down South, Tennessee coach Butch Jones earns credit as the first coach in college football to introduce drones to the game, utilizing the device to capture aerial recordings of his team’s practice. At the time, Jones proclaimed it was nothing more than an experiment… but Duffey insightfully predicted the technological benefits would be too much to ignore. The adventure sports industry has become a proven showcase for drone technologies, capturing some of the most exciting and informative video those athletes have ever leveraged not only in recording their stunts, but also in planning and designing their performances.
Duffey speculated the potential applications for football would prove just as potent, and reports indicate others agree. North Carolina, Michigan State and UCLA have been linked to drone use since, and while those reports all focus on coaching personnel seeking practice evaluation, we wonder… what’s next?
Beyond the visual stimulations of joy watching football – where drones could be utilized as vehicles for practice and game evaluation, broadcast and (possibly) support of instant replay – or the potential event security it might provide – utilizing artificial intelligence to surveil crowds… a political debate we just assume avoid – we also see the potential for espionage. College football is not a game closely associated with ethical high ground. Teams are persistently accused of cheating, utilizing various spy tactics to gain inside information on the opposition. Drones are born from an industry of spies, and it’s a quick stone’s throw (especially in the world of college football) to suggest the device you use to watch your practice could just as easily be used to watch mine.
Considering the game’s place in the industry – not to mention environment it operates in – it should surprise no one to find tech advances progressing via college football. It’s a potent testing ground for next, whether “next” is playing on the field or working in support of play off, and we expect to see continued evolution moving forward… even if it comes in a negative headline.