BYU coordinators Jay Hill and Aaron Roderick weigh in on Michigan sign stealing scandal, say it is prevalent in college football

During this exciting time for sports, with the World Series, NBA season, and college and pro football in full swing, a sign-stealing scandal at the University of Michigan has become a national headline. Read more about it here.

Controversies that involve a gray area are always intriguing, especially when it involves one of the sports giants.

Even at BYU, coordinators Aaron Roderick and Jay Hill couldn’t escape questions about the sign-stealing issue amidst their preparation for the showdown against No. 7 Texas this Saturday.

For those unaware, the NCAA is investigating allegations of sign-stealing by the Wolverines football program, led by enigmatic coach Jim Harbaugh. They are accused of sending individuals associated with the program to games of future opponents and having them videotape coaches as they signal plays.

While sign-stealing itself is not against the rules, the act of scouting games in person at other schools violates NCAA rules (Bylaw 11.6.1).

Here’s what BYU’s offense coordinator Aaron Roderick, a seasoned coach with 24 years of experience, had to say about the prevalence of sign-stealing:

“I mean, there are a lot of teams that steal signs. I don’t know how many teams are doing it illegally. It is legal to do it if you can figure out the other teams’ signals during the course of the game. That’s legal.

“And there are a lot of teams who devote manpower to it. There are teams that study TV copies and try to pick up signals from the broadcast. There are people in the booth or on the sidelines trying to crack your code. It’s a common thing in college football, and we take precautions to avoid being hacked.

“So, yeah, it is part of the game and we just have to deal with it.”

Both Roderick and Hill suggest using electronic devices in helmets, like they do in the NFL, to communicate with players on the field as a possible solution.

“Yeah, I think it would be great,” Roderick said. “I would love to try it, yeah.”

Hill, who previously coached at Weber State and Utah, also acknowledged the prevalence of sign-stealing in college football:

“Yeah, absolutely. It happens almost every week. I guarantee you it has happened to us this year. … It has never been a huge focus for the staffs I’ve been a part of, but I know it occurs. We do our best to defend against it.

“That’s why we have multiple signalers, boards, and other measures to prevent it. This has been a thing in college football and the NFL for years. It’s nothing new.”

Hill concluded, “No matter who you’re playing, you have to assume they are trying to steal your signals.”

Cougars on the air

BYU (2-2, 5-2) at No. 8 Texas (3-1, 6-1)

Saturday, 1:30 p.m. MDT

DKR-Texas Memorial Stadium (Capacity: 100,119)

Austin, Texas

TV: ABC

Radio: KSL Newsradio 102.7 FM/1160 AM