Former NFL officiating chief Pereira weighs in on Michigan–Western Michigan clock controversy

The final second of Michigan’s 13-12 win over Western Michigan — a game in which the Wolverines scored a touchdown on the last play after the Big Ten determined one second remained on the official clock — has drawn scrutiny from officiating experts across the sport, including former NFL vice president of officiating Mike Pereira.

Western Michigan appeared to have secured a 12-7 road upset when Michigan’s Hail Mary fell incomplete as the broadcast clock showed zero. The conference, however, ruled that a Broncos defender touching the ball from out of bounds meant one second remained. Bryce Underwood then connected with JJ Buchanan on the next snap for the game-winning touchdown.

Pereira, now a rules analyst for Fox’s NFL coverage, told The Athletic that discrepancies can exist between the stadium’s official timing system and the feed viewers see on television. Under NFL and UFL protocol, he explained, replay officials must defer to the broadcast video when the two clocks diverge.

“Replay is to use the TV video,” Pereira said, adding that the same standard applies in both the NFL and UFL — meaning, under NFL rules, the television clock everyone watched would have governed the outcome.

The NCAA has no comparable written guidance for the scenario, leaving conferences to interpret timing disputes on their own. The Big Ten pointed to its replay command center’s timing data as the basis for restoring the second, even though broadcast viewers saw the game clock expire.

The discrepancy has fueled criticism of the conference’s transparency. Broadcast rules analysts, including NBC’s Terry McAulay, questioned the ruling in real time. Western Michigan and the MAC have largely refrained from escalating the dispute publicly, while calls have grown for the NCAA to adopt the NFL’s broadcast-clock protocol and for conferences to air replay discussions during games.

The episode also touches broadcasters directly. NBC, a unit of Comcast, carried the game and aired its own rules analysis of the ruling, illustrating how timing and replay decisions now play out in real time on national television. Comcast shares recently traded at $26.49, down 0.64% from a prior close of $26.66, giving the media and telecom company a market capitalization of roughly $94.4 billion.

What to watch

• Whether the NCAA or the Big Ten issues clarifying guidance on official-clock versus broadcast-clock discrepancies.
• Any response from Western Michigan or the MAC following the conference’s explanation.
• Possible policy changes on making conference replay reviews audible or visible on game broadcasts.

Source: original release