NBC picked an awkward color for its Michigan-Notre Dame 'down-and-distance' scoreboard banner
No. 12 Notre Dame and No. 14 Michigan got the college football season started with one of the biggest matchups on opening weekend.
For fans not fortunate enough to attend the game in person, though, an oversight on the broadcast made the game difficult to follow on Saturday night.
NBC, who has the broadcasting rights with Notre Dame football in a deal running through 2026, broadcasted the game and debuted its scoreboard for the new season.
Now, the scoreboard didn’t look much different than it has in previous games. However, the biggest difference came on the “down-and-distance” section.
Whenever Notre Dame was on offense, the section was blue. Whenever Michigan was on offense, the section changed to yellow. Sounds like a cool, unique way to distinguish which team has the ball, right?
Except there’s one problem: Every single time Michigan ran an offensive play, it looked as if a flag had been thrown.
@NDonNBC @nbc Change the bar color on the downs/yard to anything but yellow. It looks like a flag was thrown. pic.twitter.com/5Mtxgr2uFo
— Caroline (@cargrrr) September 2, 2018
The issue drove fans all across the country crazy, and for good reason. They let NBC have it on social media, too.
Anyone else had to trick their brain tonight not to think that every play in the Notre Dame-Michigan game is a flag given the yellow in the down and distance graphic as well as Michigan's scoring total?
— Richard Deitsch (@richarddeitsch) September 2, 2018
NBC’s down and distance section on the scoreboard being yellow constantly makes me think there’s a flag on the play.
— Chris Easlick (@CEaslickWNEM) September 2, 2018
Man, the yellow yardage display on NBC is killing me.
— Adam Kramer (@KegsnEggs) September 2, 2018
The yellow bar showing downs on NBC is driving me nuts. It always looks like a flag has been thrown.
— Rory Cooper (@rorycooper) September 2, 2018
NBC coloring the down and distance bar yellow has made me think there’s a penalty on every play so far
— Tom VanHaaren (@TomVH) September 2, 2018
So I’m just going to think there’s a flag on every play with this yellow highlight on the down and distance. Why don’t they realize we have very small brains? pic.twitter.com/xE4bzgbMj8
— Big Cat (@BarstoolBigCat) September 1, 2018
I swear it looks like a flag every play, terrible choice. pic.twitter.com/f24k5VaTY4
— Tommy Wise (@Dawiseguy) September 2, 2018
Anyone else think there is a flag on every play because of the yellow box NBC is using? #NotreDame #Michigan @NBCSports pic.twitter.com/Y9Yh4imCEX
— Hammer and Nigel (@hammerandnigel) September 2, 2018
Dear @NBCSports,
The yellow "FLAG" bar and the the yellow "every down & distance when Michigan has the ball" bar being the exact same color is very confusing and annoying. #MICHvsND
— Spencer Farrin (@SpencerFarrin) September 2, 2018
NBC’s score box has the same background color for flag alerts and for Michigan down and distance. Strangely sloppy design.
— The Solid Verbal (@SolidVerbal) September 2, 2018
Now, this problem will only occur when Notre Dame is playing someone who has yellow as a dominant color — so it won’t be an issue every week. And, in reality, the NBC crew probably never realized that the “Michigan” yellow and the “penalty flag” yellow looked the exact same and would confuse viewers when planning for the game.
But still, the annoying “oversight” made the Michigan-Notre Dame game extremely difficult to watch.
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