Replay reviews available for first time at UNK football games

KEARNEY, NE — When the UNK football team kicks off in its home-opening game on Thursday, referees will have access to replay review at Cope Stadium for the first time.

The Mid-America Intercollege Athletes Association (MIAA) is the first conference outside of Division l to implement instant replay during football games. The conference is testing the SkyCoach system, which provides the game Referee with an on-field replay system to immediately review all targeting calls. Coaches are also granted one challenge per game. If the challenge is successful, they retain the challenge and can use it one more time that game.

Lopers Head Coach Josh Lynn says he welcomes the addition of replay.

“If you look back over the course of our games and how close they are with MIAA opponents, I think if we have replay on a couple games, things might have gone against us or for us,” Lynn said. “I think it’s really aggressive by our conference, Mike Racy our conference commissioner. We’re the only D-ll conference doing it, so we’re kind of the trailblazers in that world.”

The SkyCoach system taps into cameras already being used for game film. The referee will be able to watch the plays in question on an iPad through the SkyCoach app.

The NCAA Football Rules Committee will study how the system works this season, and determine if the system should be approved for all of Division ll and Division lll football.