Teams are now required to attempt 2-point conversions after touchdowns in the second overtime period of games rather than the third.
The NCAA Football Rules Committee last month recommended the change, as part of an effort to limit plays and end games sooner. Teams still will have the option to attempt an extra point or go for two following touchdowns in the first overtime session.
Stanford coach David Shaw, chair of the rules committee, told ESPN in March that the seven-overtime game between Texas A&M and LSU in 2018, which the Aggies won 74-72, prompted discussion to change the overtime rules.
“We had an overtime game against UCLA [in 2020], and [Bruins coach] Chip Kelly went for two after the second overtime, and I didn’t blame him one bit,” Shaw said of the Cardinal’s 48-47 win in two overtimes. “We’d been playing for a lot of plays and we’d had a couple of injuries on both teams. It was time to say, ‘Hey, you know what, we’ll either make this and win or not get it and lose and go on.’ This is a safety issue, this is a length-of-game issue and a number-of-plays issue.”
