NCAA Admits Replay Protocols Were ‘Not Followed’ In WMU vs. Michigan

Western Michigan and its conference have insisted Michigan should not have been given an extra second in its dramatic win over the Broncos two weeks ago. The NCAA agrees, but said it can’t do anything about it. The NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision Oversight Committee announced Wednesday that proper replay protocols weren’t followed in Michigan’s Hail Mary win, altering the outcome of the game. The committee also reiterated what the NCAA said last week: It doesn’t have the authority to overturn the result. “The committee consulted with national officiating leadership regarding the instant replay protocols,” the committee said in a statement. “Based on that information, the committee agreed that the instant replay protocols were not followed in the contest’s second-to-last play,” the statement continued. “Had the protocols been followed, the outcome of the game would have been different.” Michigan, now ranked No. 19, won the Sept. 5 game 13-12 on a Hail Mary pass after the replay official had put 1 second back on the clock when Wolverines quarterback Bryce Underwood’s first try was incomplete. The Mid-American Conference initially accepted the Big Ten’s explanation of what happened at the end of the game, but joined Western Michigan in asking for the result to be overturned. A few hours later, the NCAA said the result would stand, noting its playing rules do not have a protocol for overturning the outcome of a game and the oversight committee does not have the authority to do so, which it confirmed again on Wednesday. “The playing rules governing the result of a contest are clear: once the referee declares a contest to be final, no appeal of the outcome is permitted, according to (rules),” the committee said. Reporting by The Associated Press.