There have been numerous discussions lately regarding rule changes aimed at shortening game lengths across various sports.
However, the recent clock rule change in Division I and Division II NCAA college football has sparked controversy since its announcement in April.
Unlike Division III, these divisions will no longer stop the clock after first downs, except in the final two minutes of each half. This decision has faced considerable backlash, which has only intensified as the season has commenced.
Despite only being in the first week of games, many fans have already expressed their dissatisfaction, claiming that games feel longer due to an abundance of commercials.
Moreover, several coaches have voiced their criticism of the new rule, raising concerns about its impact on advertising.
One such coach is Chip Kelly from UCLA, who vehemently scolded the rule during a halftime interview with ESPN’s Kayla Burton in the Bruins’ game against Coastal Carolina.
— no context college football (@nocontextcfb) September 3, 2023
“But this new rule is, um, it’s crazy. We had four drives in the first half. This game goes fast. Hope you guys are selling a lot of commercials!”
Contrary to Kelly’s criticisms, the reduction in the number of plays per game does not necessarily translate to a drastic decrease in game time. As highlighted by Colton Denning, an analysis of the nine Week games revealed a mere four-minute overall drop in game duration.
Excluding Navy-Notre Dame, the average time of game yesterday was 3 hours and 29 minutes.
Small sample, but I think it's a decent bet they've just replaced that game time with more commercials.
— Colton Denning (@Dubsco) August 27, 2023
The presence of option teams like Navy, which heavily relies on running plays, skews the data by reducing incomplete passes and clock stoppages.
Strikingly, when excluding the Navy-Notre Dame game, Week games actually took longer.
However, Indiana coach Tom Allen offered insights during a press conference prior to his team’s game against Ohio State.
He highlighted an intriguing divide between offensive-focused coaches, such as Brian Kelly, and defensive-focused coaches like himself regarding their perspectives on the rule change.
Offensive-focused coaches have been more vocal in expressing their dissatisfaction, while defensive-focused coaches generally seem more accepting of the alteration.
Was thinking about this answer from Tom Allen at today's presser and how it relates to what @Dubsco pointed out after the Week 0 games.
Feels like CFB no longer stopping the clock after first downs is actually just about getting more commercials, and nothing else. #IUFB pic.twitter.com/xMuKAjmjyP
— Daniel Olinger (@dan_olinger) August 31, 2023
“When you think about the reasons why they’re doing it, you know, obviously we all know from a practical perspective they’re not going to cut out the commercials. Because that’s how things are financed.”
