Big 12 will use RF chips in shoulder pads

Published Jul. 22, 2013 10:22 a.m. ET

foxsports

DALLAS -- Football players in the Big 12 will literally be playing with a chip on their shoulders this season.

All Big 12 players will have radio frequency chips embedded in their shoulder pads. The RF chips will allow the conference to track players, their velocity and the impact made during collisions on a real-time basis.

How exactly the conference will use RF chip remains to be seen.

"To be quite frank about it, we're not sure what we will do with the technology or what Sportvision will do with the technology, but we think it's a very interesting innovation that developments in other areas outside of sports have accommodated," Big 12 commissioner Bob Bowlsby said. "So our guys will all have RF chips in, and it ought to be interesting to see how it evolves."

The Big 12 is one of three conferences that will use RF chips this year. The other two are the SEC and the Big 12.