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Did you hear that? CFB officials will reportedly have option for traditional whistles this weekend

Dustin Schutte

By Dustin Schutte

Published:

Perhaps one of the biggest annoyances in college football during the 2020 season has been the use of electronic whistles. Sure, it’s a good thought in theory as decision-makers attempt to make the game as safe as possible while playing during a pandemic.

But the electronic whistles have almost done more harm than good.

Coaches, players, broadcasters, fans, reporters, small children and even your Uncle Charlie who’s just a casual fan has complained ad nauseum about the issues these electronic whistles have caused. They’ve been incredibly difficult to hear on the field, which could result in serious injury near the end of a play at some point during the season.

Fortunately, ESPN’s Peter Burns is reporting that we could see the return of a traditional whistle this weekend. In a tweet, Burns said that referees will now have the option to use a traditional whistle for college football games, due to the issues we’ve seen on the field already.

“NCAA National Coordinator of Officials Steve Shaw just said on #SECThisMorning that as of this weekend, CFB officials will have the option to use traditional whistles in games,” Burns wrote. “The electronic whistles will not be replaced, but both will be used starting this weekend.”

It’s understandable why the NCAA recommended the use of electronic whistles during the season, but it’s simply not working at this point. Hopefully, having some of the traditional whistles back on the field will help establish more control at the end of plays.

Dustin Schutte

Dustin grew up in the heart of Big Ten country and has been in sports media since 2010. He has been covering Big Ten football since 2014. You can follow him on Twitter: @SchutteCFB