SEC plans to use ‘TV timeout clock’ for games this season

If you’ve ever gone to a nationally televised college football game, you’re familiar with TV timeouts and how interminable they can seem.

As the delays wear on, the person wearing the red hat or red glove standing out on the field becomes the focus of all of that frustration. This year, though, the SEC is planning to help fans out a little bit in that regard.

According to a release from the conference, the SEC will implement the use of a visible TV timeout clock at all stadiums in 2018:

“The use of a visible timeout countdown clock will provide fans in particular an opportunity to know when a game will re-start after a television timeout and hopefully give some definition to the perceived delays in a game,” stated SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey. “The clock will also give teams, game officials and event administrators more definitive information for time management in their respective areas of the game.”

This seems like a very good idea, and it’s somewhat surprising that it hasn’t been thought of before.

Here is what the clock will look like on the sidelines:

Kudos to the SEC for doing what it can to improve the fan experience.

Adam Spencer

Adam is a daily fantasy sports (DFS) and sports betting expert. A 2012 graduate of the University of Missouri, Adam now covers all 16 SEC football teams. He is the director of DFS, evergreen and newsletter content across all Saturday Football brands.