The SEC Media Days are here and that just means football is getting closer. With Media Days in hand, fans are treated to a closer look at what Saturdays in the fall will look like. And, according to SEC commissioner Greg Sankey, one of those things the SEC will debut in 2024 is certainly groundbreaking.
SEC & Apple Partner for 2024
The SEC has never been one to shy away from pushing the envelope and pushing innovation during game days and with their athletics products. This fall appears no different as Sankey announced on Monday that the conference has developed a partnership with Apple and will distribute iPads to their league teams on the sidelines this season.
Sankey said the SEC will be embracing artificial intelligence head-on in 2024 and beyond.
“The innovative nature of our universities, and their collective work, has made the SEC the first collegiate athletic conference to convene an Artificial Intelligence Consortium that is already creating research and programming partnerships,” Sankey said.
The conference will reportedly hand out iPads to their teams to be able to watch back the action in real-time, something different than what is currently in use even at the NFL level. Currently, the NFL allows teams to view the previous plays in the form of screenshots or still images on Microsoft Surface tablets.
This partnership with Apple and the SEC may be significantly different. College football is set to allow coaches and players to view plays back in near-real-time and it’s clear the SEC is embracing that change with this partnership with Apple.
It should be noted that the current CEO of Apple, Tim Cook, is an Auburn grad, and this landmark deal between his company and his alma mater may strike up some controversy as other conferences around the country aim to allow their teams technological advances on the sidelines this fall as well.
Almost immediately following Sankey’s announcement, it was released that the ACC also met a deal with Apple to provide iPads to their teams this fall. It’s nearly guaranteed that Cook, who also has an MBA from Duke, was at the epicenter of both deals.
“The Atlantic Coast Conference and Apple will collaborate to bring iPad Technology to ACC football sidelines and coaches booths starting with the 2024 season,” the ACC release said.
“All 17 ACC football programs will have access to conference-provided iPad Pro and iPad Air models to immediately view video playback, elevating on-field performance.”
With that kind of access, particularly with this specific partnership with Apple, the SEC will continue to be at the forefront of the ever-changing nature of college football.
KEEP READING: SEC Media Days 2024 Schedule
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