Latest NCAAF News and Notes

The NCAA Rules Committee has been looking to make some changes for the upcoming college football season, and they are focusing on overtime rules. College football games have a tendency to drag out, and the rules committee is hoping to change that. 

A proposal would require college football teams to attempt a two-point conversion after scoring a touchdown, beginning in the second overtime period. Teams would also be required to run nothing but two-point conversions beginning in the third overtime. 

This recommendation will be discussed in greater detail by the NCAA Playing Rules Oversight Panel on April 22. Keeping players healthy is one of the biggest reasons for this rule change proposal. 

Another area that the rules committee is looking at is to create a policy that would target players and teams that fake injuries during a game. Teams would be able to submit a video at the conclusion of a game, and teams could be punished by the NCAA. 

The rules committee is made up of coaches, and they have sent out surveys to Division I teams to collect data surrounding these rules changes. 

Jones Named Interim Coach at Kansas

The University of Kansas recently named Emmett Jones as interim head coach after firing Les Miles. Kansas will continue searching for a permanent head coach, and the school is also in need of an athletic director. 

Miles was fired in Kansas after the results of a pair of investigations were revealed while the former coach was at LSU. While Miles was not disciplined during his reign as Tigers head coach, Kansas felt that the results of that investigation warranted immediate termination.

Athletic director Jeff Long publicly defended the hiring of Miles, but he came under fire from boosters and other members of the staff. Long eventually submitted his resignation, leaving a pair of prominent positions open at a Power 5 Conference.

Jones is entering his third season with the Jayhawks football program, and he has also spent time on the staff at Texas Tech. A few other coaches were interviewed by interim athletic director Kurt Watson, but it will be Jones leading the way until an official replacement is found. 

Nebraska-Oklahoma Confirmed For 2021

The Oklahoma Sooners and the Nebraska Cornhuskers have both confirmed that a 2021 matchup is set, even though there were various reports announcing the potential cancellation of that game. Nebraska was seeking to get out of that contract to schedule an 8th home game, but the school plans to honor their initial commitment.

Oklahoma and Nebraska were longtime rivals in the Big 12 Conference, and there is significance to a 2021 matchup. The September 18 game will honor the 50th anniversary of “The Game of the Century,” when Nebraska topped Oklahoma by a score of 35-31.