The Big Ten announced Wednesday it would expand enhanced replay review insight to all conference games and home non-conference matchups officiated by Big Ten officials, not just Friday night games.
Gee, wonder why.
The announcement comes on the heels of a highly controversial ending to the Michigan-Western Michigan game last weekend, when the Wolverines were granted an extra second after the game clock struck zero, giving them a chance to win on a Hail Mary touchdown pass.
Officials cited a discrepancy between the clock they were using and the stadium and broadcast clocks as the reason for the phantom second. The game, played in Michigan Stadium, would have been privy to these updated rules.
The enhanced replay review process would have taken place had the game been played on a Friday. The conference previously announced it would begin providing live audio between the game referee and replay official during reviews, along with a live shot from inside the Big Ten Replay Center, for Friday night games this season. That announcement came after the ACC completed its first full season providing networks with similar replay review insights in 2025 (which won the 2025 Awfulie Award for Best Broadcast Innovation), and as the Big 12 rolls out similar access this season.
Wednesday’s announcement extends that plan to all Big Ten games.
“Beginning this Saturday (September 12), all football broadcasts from Big Ten venues that include Big Ten replay and on-field officials will be able to feature live audio between the game referee and replay official during reviews, alongside video of the game footage being viewed during the process and a view inside the state-of-the-art Big Ten Replay Center,” read Wednesday’s statement.
The new replay guidelines cover all conference games during the 2026 season as well as home non-conference matchups officiated by Big Ten crews. A complete list of those non-conference contests is below.
The NCAA is also making similar changes after the Michigan-WMU fiasco. According to ESPN’s Jake Trotter, the governing body said in an internal memo that the official time for any game is the time displayed on the in-stadium game clock, but that when a replay review requires time to be restored, the replay official’s decision must be based on the embedded game clock contained within the broadcast’s program feed, or the game-clock graphic if no embedded clock is available.
About Sean Keeley
Along with writing for Awful Announcing and The Comeback, Sean is the Managing Editor for Comeback Media. Previously, he created the Syracuse blog Troy Nunes Is An Absolute Magician and wrote 'How To Grow An Orange: The Right Way to Brainwash Your Child Into Rooting for Syracuse.' He has also written non-Syracuse-related things for SB Nation, Curbed, and other outlets. He currently lives in Seattle where he is complaining about bagels. Send tips/comments/complaints to sean@thecomeback.com.