Terry McAulay lays out why televised replay ‘command centers’ aren’t working: ‘Optics over outcomes’

In recent years, the Big Ten, Big 12, and ACC all have begun televising the deliberations from command centers during replay reviews of key plays. Airing the conversations between conference officials in the command center and referees on the field is compelling television and, in theory, creates more transparency for viewers. The idea unsurprisingly came about as sports betting and prediction markets became more popular. However, turning game audiences into flies on the wall for previously private decision-making has put far more weight on these conversations. It also hasn’t erased mistakes.