College football keeps picking iPad over Surface as fourth conference joins team Apple

While the NFL remains tethered to Microsoft Surface tablets like a bad coach, college football is increasingly embracing iPad. Following a 2024 NCAA rule change that opened the door for sideline video review, a fourth conference has now struck a direct deal with Apple to bring iPad into the game. For decades, NCAA rules restricted technology on the sidelines. That shifted in April 2024, when the NCAA approved use of up to 18 tablets per team in games. The devices are limited to showing current game video from broadcast and team cameras, without analytics or external data access. The goal was to level the playing field while modernizing coaching tools. Apple quickly moved in to supply iPads under the new rules. By the start of the 2024 season, three Power 4 conferences including the SEC, ACC, and Big Ten had signed partnerships to use iPad Pro and iPad Air models on sidelines, in coaching booths, and in locker rooms. That left the Big 12 as the outlier, opting instead for Microsoft Surface tablets because some lessons are learned the hard way. MAC joins in with Apple Today, the Mid-American Conference (MAC) announced that it will equip coaching staffs across all 13 member institutions with iPad Pro and iPad Air models. The deal makes the MAC the first conference outside the Power 4 to collaborate directly with Apple. It also makes it possible to say that even the MAC — no, not that Mac — is using iPad. The iPads will be paired with DVSport’s Rewind software, which provides immediate multi-angle playback of in-game video, tagging of plays by down and distance, and built-in telestration tools. Coaches and players will be able to review footage within seconds of a snap, enabling faster adjustments and better communication on the field. “Real-time access to video delivers immediate insights, sharpens decision-making, and enhances performance,” said MAC Commissioner Jon Steinbrecher. “This collaboration with Apple equips our programs with the resources necessary to compete at the highest level.” The MAC’s announcement further shows how quickly iPad is becoming the standard platform for college football strategy now that technology is allowed. For Apple, the deals expand iPad’s presence in high-visibility and high-pressure environments while making the NFL’s Microsoft Surface contract appear more dated than ever.