Big 12: No CFB Games Were 'Compromised' by Unencrypted Helmet Communications

In-game helmet communications between coaches and players have not been compromised, per the Big 12 following the conference's investigation into the matter.

"Following the industry-wide concerns surrounding helmet communications, the Big 12 conducted a review of conference games and helmet communications processes to address any issues member institutions raised regarding this matter," the Big 12 said in a statement Thursday, per ESPN's Max Olson. "The review showed that at no point was any Big 12 competition compromised."

That news dropped one day after sources told Olson that "coach-to-player in-game communications during Power 4 college football games this season have been occurring on unencrypted frequencies."

Texas Tech then asked the Big 12 to issue a report regarding the Red Raiders' recent games versus TCU and Baylor "to ensure the integrity of the games were not compromised," per Olson. The ensuing investigation was the result of that request.

Now comes word from The Athletic that immediate changes will be made to ensure in-game communications will now be encrypted:

"Power Four conferences have notified their schools that the coach-to-player helmet communication equipment they use during games needs an adjustment to address security concerns with the product before teams play again, according to multiple sources within Power Four conferences.

"The fix requires hands-on work so schools are shipping equipment around the country, having technicians come to campus or — in at least one case — flying a staffer with the equipment to Atlanta to have it back before Saturday's game."

Obviously, that's been done to ensure that communications aren't compromised by other teams, ensuring the integrity of the games.

"There are concerns that others can listen in or access opponent (coach-to-player) comm," a source from a Big 12 school told The Athletic.

Coach-to-player helmet communications were only allowed beginning this year after the NCAA passed a rule. All FBS conferences have taken advantage of it.

But, per one athletic director, it appears that schools were told that this system was encrypted and secure, when it turned out to not the case.

"It had been portrayed to us that this thing was all encrypted and secure and blah, blah, blah. Now we're learning it wasn't," one athletic director told The Athletic.

"If this was discovered a couple of weeks ago, there should have been every flag. I mean, after what happened with Michigan, if vulnerability is exposed, everybody should have dropped everything and fixed it immediately, and we're just now fixing it."

At any rate, it appears the situation is quickly being rectified and that there was no harm or foul found prior to this issue being discovered.