Post courtesy of elon.edu

Twelve students are enrolled in the new Elon in Charlotte Regional Center this fall, participating in the university’s sport management immersive semester and gaining real-world experience with the Atlantic Coast Conference, NASCAR, Fox Sports and other Charlotte-based organizations. Continue reading... 

Al Riveron is gliding. Well, bouncing. No, levitating. All three, really. He’s moving — fast.

The mid-afternoon college football slate on Saturday, Sept. 9, is starting. Riveron, the longtime NFL official who was named the ACC’s supervisor of football officials in November, is breaking in his new digs inside the league’s brand-spanking-new Game Day Operations Center (GDOC).  Continue reading...

Rob Washburn - Courtesy of caasports.com

RICHMOND, Va. (August 24, 2023) – With the goal of improving the gameday experience for fans, coaches and student-athletes, CAA Football will add a visible television timeout countdown clock and a sideline replay monitor during the 2023 season.

CAA Football will be one of the first conferences at the FCS level to use both products.

“The addition of a visible timeout countdown clock and replay sideline monitors at each CAA Football stadium are further examples of the Conference’s continued commitment to provide our fans, coaches and student-athletes with the best possible gameday experience, and to ensure that the CAA is utilizing the most up-to-date technology in each of its games,” CAA Commissioner Joe D’Antonio said. “We are excited to implement both of these additions for the 2023 season.”

The on-field countdown clock provides fans the opportunity to know when a game will resume after a television timeout. The digital clock, which is operated by the television timeout coordinator during commercial breaks, also lets game officials, coaches and student-athletes know exactly how much time is left before they need to be back on the field. When the clock strikes zero, the game officials will mark the ball ready for play.

The sideline monitor will greatly enhance the conference’s instant replay process. The game official can see exactly what the replay official in the press box is watching, which will lead to improved discussion and collaboration on calls. The monitor will allow officials to better communicate replay decisions with head coaches and will aid in the referee’s ability to explain calls to fans.

While the referee can provide input about the ruling on the field during the replay process, the final decision to confirm or overturn a call will still be made by the replay official.

The television timeout countdown clocks were supplied by Victory Game Clocks, while the sideline replay monitor is an addition to the DVSport instant replay technology that the CAA has used for nearly a decade.

“DVSport continues its strong replay technology partnership with the CAA with the addition of new replay sideline monitors this season,” said Keith Lowe, Chief Strategic Officer for DVSport. “The sideline monitor creates a collaborative and transparent workflow between the on-field referee and the replay official in the booth. The detailed replay review announcements will also be a benefit to fans, broadcasters and teams.”

“Eight FBS conferences and three FCS conferences, including the CAA, are using our TV timeout countdown clocks at each of their member institutions’ football stadiums,” said Frank Hiett, Director of Sales at Victory Game Clocks. “It has changed the way everyone in the stadium views timeouts. Knowing the exact time remaining during a timeout not only benefits the fans, it allows coaches, event staff, press box media and spirit groups to stay on point during a timeout so play can resume.”

Story courtesy of panthers.com 

By: Augusta Stone

CHARLOTTE – The Panthers' first-team offense finished a set of plays in Wednesday's team practice period and took a break while the scout team worked against the starting defense in the next sequence.

On cue, assistant head coach Jeff Nixon and Carolina's three running backs jogged to the TV monitors underneath a tent on the sideline. They reviewed plays, asked questions, and talked strategy before running to the practice field for another set of plays.

When the offense traded off with the defense again, Nixon and the trio trotted back to the tent. It's been routine throughout the season.

And based on recent results, it looks like they're seeing things more clearly on game day.

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"I just think it's good to get some extra time," Nixon said. "Any time you get extra time to watch film, especially when they just performed the rep, I think it really resonates with them. And they remember exactly what they did right or exactly what they did wrong right away."

D'Onta Foreman, Chuba Hubbard, and Raheem Blackshear take instant looks to see if they're making correct reads on run plays in practice. Nixon said they look for tracks and aim for landmarks – for example, running toward the outside leg of a guard – while keeping a look on their eyes and field vision. It's all about details and fundamentals, and having immediate feedback is helpful.

"We try to be real detailed with that," Nixon said. "(It) makes a difference on if it's going to be a successful play or not, depending on their general fundamentals for each run."

Foreman said reviewing tape on the sideline has helped him make the most of his practice reps. Once he goes back in for another set of plays, Foreman can apply what he saw immediately to his next reps.

"You can see what went wrong or what went good immediately; you don't have to wait until we go to the meeting (later in the afternoon)," Foreman said. "Once we go back on offense, you learn from that immediately. It's been pretty good. I enjoy it."

Something is working right in Carolina, as Foreman and Hubbard each put up career-best yardage totals (165 for Foreman, 125 for Hubbard) with seven runs of at least 21 yards split between the two of them in last week's win over Detroit. The Panthers put up a franchise-high 320 rushing yards against the Lions.

Since interim head coach Steve Wilks took over in Week 6, the Panthers are averaging 151.6 yards per game on the ground, and are up to 10th in the league in rushing yardage as they've made it the centerpiece of their physical persona. For reference, the league average is 120.9 per game, and the number under Wilks would rank third in the league for the entire year. But running like that takes more than attitude. It takes detailed work.

It also takes plenty of technology, and the people to make it happen in an outdoor setting away from the comforts (and nearby electrical outlets and convenient wifi connections) of a meeting room.

The outdoor setup includes one television, a computer, and five tablets that show two camera views of each play (one from the sideline and one from the end zone). The five-person football video team helps set it all up for each practice, which takes about 15 minutes daily.

The cameras report back to a central hub, which uses DVSport 360 Rewind software. The equipment takes about 10-15 minutes to break down at the end of each practice. But for the help it provides for the backfield, it's time well spent.

Beyond the IT and video assistance, there's plenty of other people making those lanes for the backs to see clearly.

Nixon gave plenty of credit to the Panthers' dominant offensive line, which held off the Lions' defensive front and cleared the way for Carolina's backs to get downfield.

"We've made some good reads, broke some tackles," Nixon said. "But I really credit the line for opening up some really, really good holes and coming off the ball, giving us a chance to get to the second and third level."

The running backs also review their plays in pass protection while they're under the tent. Nixon said they look to see if they're receiving calls from quarterback Sam Darnold or center Bradley Bozeman and ensure they make their blocking assignments.

Nixon says he has seen improvement in every area throughout the year, and it's a testament to the progression of the season, more game reps, and reviewing the tape.

"It's improved drastically since the beginning of the season," Nixon said. "I think the more and more guys are getting reps and getting their opportunity to play in games, they're making the most of it and just becoming more comfortable with everything we're doing – run-game wise, in pass protection, and catching the ball out of the backfield."

Blackshear, a rookie, said watching tape on the field between reps at practice was new to him when he got to Carolina, and five-year veteran Foreman hadn't instantly reviewed his film on the practice field either, in previous stops in Houston and Tennessee.

But it'd be safe to say reviewing the tape is helping set a good tone for the Panthers' run game, where Carolina has found a consistent key in critical wins.

"I think it's definitely been helping," Foreman said. "I take pride in (that) because I know if something didn't go right, I can say, 'All right, well, I'm going to go watch it in a second.'"

For the first time in NCAA Men’s Basketball, teams are experimenting with in-game sideline technology. 
 
DVSport is providing its Rewind technology to the teams participating in this’s years NIT tournament.  Each team is allowed to use one device in the bench area, that is feed with live video from the DVSport Replay solution that is used to provide the official’s instant replay.  The tablets can be used for live stats or video but can not be used by a coach to dispute a call on the floor.
 
This in-game technology is currently being used at the professional level in the NBA, at the collegiate level in men’s and women’s lacrosse and at the high school level in football and basketball.  It is also used during practices across the NFL, college football, NCAA basketball, baseball, softball and hockey.
 
DVSport Rewind has changed the way coaches, players and staff prepare at practices and games. No reason to wait when you can make immediate adjustments with DVSport’s live portable video solution. Rewind provides immediate access to video that allows feedback to aid coaching, evaluation and player injury assessment.
 
Features include:

• Simple thumbnail based interface that allows quick and easy access to plays and video, navigate video via simple swipe gestures, on screen controls or Rocket Remote.
• Bookmarked plays can be viewed on any tablet, also video can be viewed on the device in a small group setting or projected to a flat panel or on a stadium video board.
• Watch using unattended loop feature - plays the last play on a loop until the next play is available or under full control of the coach/player/medical staff - any drill - any play.
• Use telestration, zoom and bookmarking to efficiently make coaching adjustments.
• Quick, simple set-up, automated in game/practice workflow that minimizes impact on support staff.

 
For more information on DVSport Rewind or any of our other products please contact us at sales@dvsport.com or 412-788-9070.

By Jannelle Moore via www.basketballnews.com
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With 6:36 remaining in the third quarter of Sunday’s game between the Golden State Warriors and Utah Jazz, Draymond Green stripped the ball away from a driving Bojan Bogdanovic and was whistled for a foul.

Green knew it was a clean strip and immediately spun his index finger in the air, motioning for head coach Steve Kerr to challenge the call. Ideally, teams will hold on to their challenges until the fourth quarter, but in this instance, overturning the call was crucial. The Warriors would have been over the foul limit in a six-point game and Bogdanovic would get two free throws.

Cue the clip!

As Kerr weighs his options, one of his assistant coaches pulls out a portable video system called DVSport Rewind and the play in question appears within seconds. After watching the possession from several different angles, it's clear that Green didn't foul Bogdanovic. Kerr signals for a challenge and the call is ultimately overturned, stifling any momentum that the Jazz would've had.

In addition to the Warriors, there are 13 other NBA teams that currently use DVSport Rewind, hoping to get an edge when critical calls and games are on the line. 

The Charlotte Hornets believe that this tool could win them a few extra games over the course of the season, which could make a difference in playoff seeding. That's why they made a five-figure investment in DVSport Rewind. So far, it has worked: They have challenged seven calls this season and six have been successfully overturned.

The Pittsburgh-based DVSport Software is a well-known and trusted brand in the sports space, providing replay and coaching solutions in college basketball, college football and the NFL. Getting involved with the NBA seemed to be an obvious progression.

THE VISION

In 2019, DVSport basketball account specialist Kenny Brown had an idea that the company could tailor some of their college sports products to NBA benches for coaches. Brown altered a couple products and headed to Las Vegas for NBA Summer League to pitch and demo his solution.

Initially, the product was promoted as a coaching solution until a phone notification changed the course. As Brown was preparing to demo the product, he got a notification that the NBA approved bench challenges for coaches. Craig Davis, DVSport's director of team solutions, believed that the announcement was a revelation.

During the first season of challenges, NBA coaches would look to the JumboTron after dicey calls, waiting for replays that may or may not be shown. A year later, DVSport’s system became more in demand.

“When we went to Summer League, our initial thing was using this as an instructional method, and I don’t think we were getting a whole lot of traction down that track," Davis said. "That was kind of the ‘eureka’ moment when they approved the challenges. Then, everyone was asking that question more in tune with challenging like, ‘How am I going to be able to see this video fast enough to make a decision to challenge or not?'

"And I think what happened since then, as people have initially got the product in order to help with challenges, they’ve also seen our thing at the beginning was that this can also help you on the bench with coaching players and giving immediate feedback to people.”

FIRST EIGHT

When the league announced that they'd approved bench challenges and when teams began to inquire about DVSport Rewind, Brown and Davis won them over by selling them on adaptations of their NFL and college-sports products. The first eight teams -- the Los Angeles Clippers, Miami Heat, Philadelphia 76ers, Los Angeles Lakers, Toronto Raptors, Houston Rockets, Dallas Mavericks and San Antonio Spurs -- were sold on the fact that they could get video on demand and be more efficient when editing film.

While the initial interest was for bench challenges, Brown shared how the tool could be used for more.

“The benefit of what we have is that we can get video to the bench in real time," he said. "We have a challenge product and also a coaching product that we packaged together."

The Mavericks know all about the capabilities of DVSport’s tool since they are the only team in the NBA that uses both the challenge product and the coaching product. (The Rockets also use the coaching product, but they haven't invested in the challenge software.)

While most teams use products such as Final Cut Pro for their editing solutions, Dallas was years ahead of everyone else.

“We’ve been uniquely involved in creating that in-game bench solution," said Mavericks basketball technology director Mike Shedd. "Now, the other teams are being able to take advantage of it since their providers can’t quite keep up with what DVSport provides."

When Shedd came to the Mavericks in 2006, the team didn’t have an editing company they could rely on and, like most of the league, they were using over-the-counter editing software like Final Cut Pro and Adobe Premiere. After the initial demo of DVSport, Shedd was sold.

“With all their expertise in the replay game -- college football, NFL, hockey -- they kinda got the market as far as being the best and the quickest and the most efficient,” Shedd said.

DVSport created the Mavericks’ stand-alone system five years ago, which allows Shedd to receive clips on the bench within one second of the play happening. After every score or stop, the footage is readily available on Shedd’s tablet.

One feature that stands out is the halftime edit. The tablet has an app where favorite plays are stored. The video staff can extract clips out of a couple plays to show the players and coaches at the half and then make adjustments instead of going through the work to splice, cut and paste on more traditional non-linear editing tools.

Despite being involved with DVSport for many years, Shedd is still in awe of not only the technology itself, but also its versatility and durability.

“A college team plays 30 games; we play 30 games in two months. [I'm impressed] by how they've been able to morph their system into handling the sheer amount of things we put into it," Shedd said. "We’re [loading in] three-to-five games a week, plus all the opponent games. That's a few thousand games each season whereas NFL teams, for example, take multiple years to get to that level as far as the amount of content. So them being able to adjust as our staffs expanded and the different technological needs expanded, there’s nothing I can’t go to them with and say, 'Hey, can we figure out a way to do this?' When I do that, it’s instantly put into the queue and they try to figure it out. And more often than not, they do.”

NEW TO THE WAVE

The Hornets have seemed to be on the verge of a playoff berth for at least two seasons. In the 2018-19 campaign, they were contending for the eighth seed before losing it to the Detroit Pistons on the final day of the season. Even last year, the Hornets had a chance to state their case for a spot in the play-in game in the bubble.

This season, they looked for some marginal advantages, and found it in DVSport Rewind. They invested in the portable video system, and they have two team officials behind the bench viewing the action – zooming in, speeding up and slowing down replays in time for head coach James Borrego to determine when to use his one challenge.

Since January, Borrego and the Hornets boast an 86% success rate in reversing calls -- nearly doubling the league-wide average of 46%.

George Rodman, the Hornets' director of basketball analytics and strategy, and Jordan Surenkamp, the team's head video coordinator, scroll through a cache of on-demand videos for plays that may be worth challenging.

Brown is impressed with how his new clients are performing with the device.

“They've actually been great. They are ahead of the curve," Brown said of the Hornets' staff. "Day 1 of the demo, [Rodman] was obsessed with it. He spent more time playing and rewatching things to have coaching points and to make sure calls were right than he'd been watching games from the bench.

“He jumped in right away and he looks at almost every call. If a call happens early in that possession and it might be something they want to look at, he knows already he’s going to give the confirmation to the head coach to make that challenge. It's something that sits with him non-stop and he can’t stop reviewing.”

While teams are gravitating toward the challenge product, Brown anticipates that teams other than the Mavs and Rockets will eventually utilize the scouting and coaching software, especially since their competitors increase their prices.

“Several of the new teams [that invested] had demos last year and were out of the playoff race and didn’t want to totally invest," Brown said. "The main thing is being able to be there so they know where to turn when management wants to make the leap.”

DVSport now has plenty of NBA clients (including the Bulls, Cavaliers, Clippers, Heat, Hornets, Lakers, Mavericks, Nets, Raptors, Rockets, Sixers, Spurs, Warriors and Wizards), and that list should only continue to grow.

Article by: Rick Bonnell - The Charlotte Observer (TNS)
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The Charlotte Hornets are 6-1 this season at reversing referees’ calls. That sterling record isn’t dumb luck.

The Hornets have invested, at a five-figure cost, in a portable video system that provides them replays in real time. Two team officials, sitting behind the bench, have instant access to speed up, slow down and zoom in on what just happened, in time to flag how coach James Borrego should use one challenge per game to maximum effect.

The Hornets believe this technology could win them an extra game this season, and maybe that extra victory is the difference in making the playoffs.

“If it can swing the outcome of one loss to a win, then across the whole organization it’s viewed as worth the investment 10 times over,” George Rodman, the Hornets’ director of basketball analytics and strategy, told The Observer.

“At the end of the season, we may look back on one (call) that we got right in Game 65 that had a very significant impact on what the rest of our season looked like.”

Borrego has challenged seven calls over this season’s first 28 games. He lost one of those challenges — an out-of-bounds play against the Hawks in Atlanta on Jan. 6. That 86% success rate is nearly double the NBA-wide average of 46% this season.

A lot goes into Borrego’s decision whether to use his once-a-game challenge, which became permanent in the NBA after an experimental phase last season. Likelihood of a reversal is obviously key, but also when in a game to challenge (later is typically better) and the stakes of a call: Specifically, did a call result in points scored or a player getting in foul trouble?

Borrego is on the conservative side in how and when he uses his challenges.

“Maybe I’ve got to challenge more,” Borrego said. “I’m always evaluating. I don’t think there is a perfect answer yet.”

Striving for perfection is important because changing the outcome of one game could make a huge difference in tightly packed Eastern Conference standings.

Consider recent history: The Hornets were in contention for the last playoff spot on the final day of the 2018-19 season before losing out to the Detroit Pistons. Or the spring of 2016, when the Hornets winning one more game would have made them the third seed in the East with home-court advantage, rather than the sixth seed and an eventual Game-7 loss to the Miami Heat.

The Hornets are 13-15 and tied with Toronto for the No. 7 spot in the Eastern Conference standings through Wednesday’s games.

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CAN’T TRUST THE JUMBOTRON

When the NBA first approved challenges last season, coaches typically looked up to the large video boards above the court after questionable calls, waiting for replays that sometimes never were shown.

Rodman says it’s common knowledge around the NBA that many teams’ game-operations staff don’t show replays that might disadvantage the home team until it’s too late to challenge.

The Hornets sought something more reliable, with split-second availability, to circumvent that. They turned to DVSport, a company out of Pittsburgh that services pro and college teams’ increasing need for on-demand video replays.

Systems are customized to individual needs, but essentially the Hornets are one of a dozen or so NBA teams paying a fee in the lower five figures(the Hornets did not disclose the exact cost) to know they have access to these replays. Each game, home or away, the Hornets plug in a portable computer in the locker room that is linked to a tablet on the bench.

That tablet provides Rodman and head video coordinator Jordan Surenkamp with instant access to videos of a play that might be worth challenging. Time is crucial; an NBA team has 30 seconds to challenge a call, so Rodman figures he has, at most, 15 seconds to suggest to assistant coaches that challenging is a good risk.

“I think most teams now realize that if this is a rule we have, then it’s worth investing in, so we are maximizing it correctly,” Rodman said of the Hornets’ technology commitment. “Not something we loosely pay attention to, just haphazardly challenging things.”

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WHICH CALLS MATTER MOST?

Rodman estimates there are roughly 40 calls in any NBA game that are close enough that a team could justify challenging them. Picking which call could have the most effect on a game’s outcome is a big factor in Borrego’s choices.

For instance, there was a block/charge call involving superstar Kevin Durant that the Brooklyn Nets challenged against the Hornets because getting that reversed would both change the score and get a foul taken off Durant’s total.

“There are a number of plays out there I feel like I could challenge throughout the game. If it’s costly, then I’ll use it earlier (rather than) holding it,” Borrego said.

What factors in these decisions beyond likelihood of a reversal:

— Timing: Later is better, as far as potentially impacting a game’s outcome.It’s no coincidence that all but two of Borrego’s challenges have come in fourth quarters.

— Momentum: Borrego said the emotional impact of a play — if a reversal might boost his players or deflate the opposing team’s — does play a role: “Momentum plays that (if reversed) can turn a game in our favor,” Borrego said.

— Foul trouble: An exception to the later-is-better guideline is a key player getting in foul trouble. The two times this season Borrego challenged calls before the fourth quarter involved fouls against centers Cody Zeller and Bismack Biyombo. Both fouls were voided.

— Are points involved?: If reversing a call could directly add points to the Hornets’ score or take points off the opponent’s score, then that significantly increases the likelihood of a Borrego challenge. Four of the six calls Borrego successfully challenged were shooting fouls, so negating those directly impacted the opposing team’s score.

Only two of Borrego’s seven challenges have involved out-of-bounds plays. That play is the easiest to get reversed (a 75% success rate last season) because replay often provides such clear evidence. However, it only results in a change of possession, not a change in the score or a player’s foul total, so it’s low in strategic value.

The goal isn’t to get any old call changed. It’s reversing a call that could be a Hornets game-changer.

And potentially a season-changer.

©2021 The Charlotte Observer. Visit at charlotteobserver.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

DVSport Chief Operating Officer, Keith Lowe volunteered at Carolina Panther - Bank of America Stadium on Saturday to help 20,000 people receive their second round of the COVID-19 vaccination.

For the sixth consecutive year, DVSport has partnered with ESPN during the College Football Playoff National Championship Presented by AT&T for Film Room on ESPNEWS and Refcast on the ESPN App.

This year's Film Room features SEC Network college football analyst Gene Chizik, Liberty head coach Hugh Freeze and two DVSport coaching clients in Wake Forest head coach Dave Clawson and North Carolina A&T’s Sam Washington. As in the past, Film Room features the coaches providing in-depth analysis in a film room equipped with DVSport’s On-Air Talent Replay System. This system will provide immediate access to multiple camera angles and full control of those angles (program, All-22, SkyCam and high endzone) on air. 

Refcast will feature Arizona State head coach Herm Edwards and ESPN commentator Jason Bennetti along with former officials John Parry and Matt Austin who will provide commentary from a referee's prospective.  Refcast will also utilize DVSport's On-Air Talent Replay System to move between multiple camera angles allowing commentators many viewing options throughout the game.

DVSport's On-Air Talent Replay System was most recently featured when Kirk Herbstreit provided fans a behind the scenes look at his home set-up for the College Football Playoffs.   DVSport's On-Air Talent Replay System has been used by Herbstreit in the College Game Day broadcasters booth since the 2014 season.
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About DVSport
DVSport, Inc. is a software company founded in Pittsburgh, PA specializing in digital video acquisition, analysis, and play-back software designed specifically for the sports market. DVSport has provided Instant Replay in college football since 2005 and college basketball since 2010.

DVSport is the current provider of Instant Replay for NCAA college football for the ACC, American, Big Ten, Big-12, Big South, Big Sky, Colonial, MAC, MEAC, Mountain West, Missouri Valley, OVC, Pac-12, SEC, Sun Belt and SWAC conferences. In addition, DVSport has been the exclusive postseason Replay Solution provider for the College Football Playoff (“CFP”), FCS, D-II, D-III playoffs and the NAIA championship game.

​PITTSBURGH, PA – DVSport, Inc. is once again providing Instant Replay Services for Bowl and TV Partners and the College Football Playoffs (CFP) concluding with the National Championship game in Miami, FL on Monday, January 11, 2021.  DVSport began providing it’s Bowl Partners with Instant Replay services in 2007 and the BCS championship game in 2010.

“This year has been like no other but we are thrilled to once again work with the CFP organization, Bowl Partners and TV partners to provide our services throughout the bowl season and for the College Football Playoffs,” said Brian Lowe, President/CEO of DVSport.

Throughout the bowl season DVSport has been providing various Instant Replay Services including: Multi-Input Replay for the officials, Medical Replay for Medical Observers in the press box and Medical Rewind (Video Tablets) on the field for team medical staffs to give them access to video to aid in the evaluation of student-athlete injuries, sideline monitors by the on-field official to allow the game official see what the replay official is viewing during a review, collaborative replay services so the officiating Conference Command Center can participate in the review and Talent Replay for TV Broadcast commentators to control video playback as they comment on the action on the field.

“I cannot express how proud I am of our team, who has worked diligently to ensure DVSport’s services were provided to each client throughout the season in the middle of a pandemic and to meet all the safety guidelines put forth by the Bowl Partners and CFP,” said Lowe.

About DVSport
DVSport, Inc. is a software company founded in Pittsburgh, PA specializing in digital video acquisition, analysis, and play-back software designed specifically for the sports market. DVSport has provided Instant Replay in college football since 2005 and college basketball since 2010.

DVSport is the current provider of Instant Replay for NCAA college football for the ACC, American, Big Ten, Big-12, Big South, Big Sky, Colonial, MAC, MEAC, Mountain West, Missouri Valley, OVC, Pac-12, SEC, Sun Belt and SWAC conferences. In addition, DVSport has been the exclusive postseason Replay Solution provider for the College Football Playoff (“CFP”), FCS, D-II, D-III playoffs and the NAIA championship game.