How the iPad Pro became integral to college football teams

Earlier this year, the NCAA approved new technology rules for college football. The ACC, SEC, and Big Ten subsequently announced partnerships with Apple to integrate the iPad into their workflows.

In a post on its newsroom today, Apple dives into the details on how college football teams have embraced the iPad Pro with M4 and nano-texture display.

Here’s Doug Aucoin, Louisiana State University’s director of video and “the godfather of SEC video coordinators,” on the iPad Pro:

“The new iPad Pro with the nano-texture display technology is unbelievable. If the nano-texture glass on the new iPad Pro wasn’t available, it would be almost impossible to view any footage on the field with the glare that comes from the sun.

It went from the Polaroid cameras to thermal printers… and now we’ve evolved into the iPads with full-blown video in game. And you know, my dad was the first one to do that many years ago. So it’s kind of a prideful moment for me to be able to see the evolution of this whole thing.”

Alex Mirabal, the University of Miami’s offensive line coach details how he put iPad Pro to use when his team made a major comeback against Cal last month:

“On the sixth play of the game, we gave up a sack. So after the series, I was able to show the offensive line — ‘See, this is what got us. When we get this look again, this is how we need to address the situation.’

And later in the game, they brought the same exact blitz look and boom, we picked it up. So it’s very, very helpful. It’s just a matter of us, as coaches, not being afraid of allowing technology to continue to get into the game.

But I don’t think — I know that the iPad usage on the sideline has tremendously impacted the game in a positive manner. There isn’t one coach in America that would say that it’s been negative.”

Isaiah Horton, a wide receiver for Miami, adds:

“‘Where’s the iPad? Where’s the iPad?’ That’s the first thing we really do as soon as we come off. It’s having that visual piece out there instead of just saying, ‘Hey, this is what I saw, but I don’t really know what you saw because quarterbacks are looking at one half of the field, and I’m on a whole opposite side of the field.’”

Check out the full post on Apple Newsroom for more details on how the iPad Pro is being used by college football teams this season. It offers a fascinating look at some of the technology, including how Apple and college football teams work with a software company called DVSport and sports analytics company Catapult.