The NCAA announced rule changes to targeting and overtime for the 2019 season but here are some more changes that need to be made.
The NCAA rules committee announced a few rule change proposals for the next season. One involves changing the punishment tied to targeting. One of the more controversial calls, a player must now accumulate three targeting calls for it to cost him a one-game suspension. Then, they made a change to the overtime rules, putting a cap on games. If a game goes past five overtimes, teams will trade two-point conversions until there is a winner. The NCAA shouldn’t stop there, however, and should make a few more tweaks to make college football even better.
1. Change transfer rules
Let’s take up this one first because it will do the most damage. These kids have to decide between going to a junior college, sitting out a year, or staying in a situation they hate. It’s a massively flawed system that needs fixing. How can you limit the number of transfers that happen every year? Well, you could put it on the teams. Make it where teams can only accept three transfers per season, and they can’t initiate contact until after the player declares they want out. Obviously, there will be tampering issues, but it will be much better than what we have now.
2. Eliminate the touchback after fumbles out of the end zone
This is still the worst rule in all of football. So a running back goes 75 yards towards the end zone, he fumbles the ball inches before the goal line, it goes out of the back of the end zone, and the other team gets it on the 20-yard line. The most logical change to this is to give the team the ball back like you do when it goes out of bounds anywhere else on the field. Let them take it on their 20, so they get a slight punishment, but the opposing team gets a gift for nothing. We would begrudgingly accept the team losing possession, but the opposing team gets the ball on the one-yard line.
3. Eliminate kickoffs
Listen, I get that this has been part of the game forever, but times have changed. Why would we keep the most dangerous play in football? We know that most players on special team won’t make a dime because of football, so why put them at risk? Just look at Eric LeGrand. We don’t want that happening to another player ever again. You can switch onside kicks with the 4th and 15 rule, which gives teams one chance to keep possession. Then, teams can just take possession at the 25-yard line after a score.
4. Allow touchdown celebrations
This is sports. Sports are supposed to be a celebration of like minds enjoying the competition. Why not let the players put a little pizzazz after a score? You can put rules in place like they have to be held within the end zone so things don’t get out of hand and delay the game. Just let the players have some fun without it turning into unsportsmanlike penalties. I mean, WVU quarterback Will Grier was given a penalty for doing the “horns down” sign. That’s ridiculous.
5. The runner is down by contact
Why not adopt this rule from the NFL? If a player makes a diving catch, let him get up and run for a few extra yards. This will make plays even more exciting and doesn’t really hurt the game in any way. Players would have to touch a player when they’re near him. That’s the big difference. But say a player gets alone in space and trips after making the catch. Instead of that meaning the world, now it just slows them down.
6. Stop trying to change history
Not sure if this is a “rule change” per se, but more a change in philosophy. Vacating wins is a paper punishment. You’re making teams take down banners and making players give back trophies they earned on the field because a shoe company was throwing around money. Do you really think that’s going to stop them? I understand a playoff suspension, but taking away things retroactively seems counterproductive.
7. Two feet inbounds for catches
This may be a controversial call, but while the one foot inbounds rule makes for some crazy catches, getting two feet in bounds seems like a more practical move. For one, it prepares these wide receivers for the next level, and we can see some awesome moves to stay in the field of play. Some touchdown catches would need more skill, and we get to see the best in the game present themselves.
8. Start overtime at the 45
The overtime rules in college football make them a lot more exciting than the NFL overtime rules. We don’t want to take away that excitement, but we also want it to be a little more difficult. Putting the ball on the 45-yard line would still make this exciting, and we might get more fourth-down play attempts, but it wouldn’t make it more difficult to score on every single possession.
9. Winning record to make a bowl game
No more 6-7 teams making the “postseason.” We want the best of the best in these bowl games. Heck, we’d rather see the best teams in the FCS play a lesser team in the FBS. 78 teams are needed to fill all the bowls. There should be an agreement in place to fill them with the lower levels if necessary.
10. Expand the College Football Playoff to eight
Just do this already. Four teams is fun, but making an eight-team tournament is a license to print money. The regular season still matters completely. In fact, this makes the regular season matter so much more for many more teams. One silly loss in week four doesn’t end a season as it could for some. This would end all arguments. We wouldn’t need to go to 16, we could be at eight forever.