Spartans Tested out Helmet Communication in Spring Ball, 'Spring Showcase'

Michigan State experimented with helmet communication over the spring and was able to test it in a game-like situation at its "Spring Showcase" on Saturday.

The Michigan State football program was able to experiment in several areas it will have to grow accustomed to in the fall when the Spartans took the field at Spartan Stadium for their "Spring Showcase" on Saturday.

One of those areas was helmet communication, a process the program had been getting used all throughout spring.

According to Spartan quartback Aidan Chiles, the helmet radio has its benefits and disadvantages.

“It’s a love-hate relationship between that, man," he said after Michigan State's spring game. "I’m used to signals, see the signal — if you get the signal wrong, that’s on you. It is what it is. 

"But sometimes you don’t get the full call. But we’re working with it, and it’s easier not having coach on the field, being able to just give you signals and everything, but also, he can’t hear me. It’s kind of fun that he can’t hear me because I can talk, tell what I want a little bit when he has disagreements.

"But it is what it is; it’s football. You’re going to have those disagreements, but you talk about it when you come off the field. And it’s different, being able to just hear him from the sideline with your helmet, but I mean, overall, it’s helpful. Can’t complain about it."

On Friday, the NCAA Playing Rules Oversight Panel approved new helmet technology rules that had been proposed in February.

The NCAA stated the following:

"In games involving Football Bowl Subdivision teams, each school will have the option to use coach-to-player communications through the helmet to one player on the field. That player will be identified by having a green dot on the back midline of the player's helmet.

"The communication from the coach to the player will be turned off with 15 seconds remaining on the play clock or when the ball is snapped, whichever comes first."

The new rules will go into effect for the 2024 college football season.

The Spartans' testing of the new helmet communication in spring ball should help ease their transition when they return for fall camp. As Chiles gets more used to it, it seems the technology could be quite beneficial.

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