It’s not a function of cost. It’s a question of risk. And the scattered approval process across the ncaa and conferences.
The big hold up is two things: cost and liability. But not cost in the sense you might think.
Unlike high schools and the pros, who seek to contain costs, colleges have blank checks for competitive advantage. The debate has been over whether just the QB and a defensive player have access to the earpiece or the whole team gets them. Many coaches want the whole team wired. Some want 2 players on each side. Some want a signal caller, usually QB2 on the sideline wired too, others not at all. The debate has been endless over whether it can be recorded, who provides what, how do your verify that security, does TV get to listen in, etc.
They had them in bowl games with both teams consent for a couple of years now.
The big question is whether the listening devices impact player protection/padding and therefore lawsuit risk. The data set hasn’t been large enough until now.
