College Basketball Gets a High-Tech Overhaul
New Rules Aim to Improve Flow, Fairness in 2025-26 Season
Men’s college basketball is poised for significant changes next season, as the NCAA Playing Rules Oversight Panel approved a series of rule modifications designed to enhance game flow and provide more opportunities for accurate officiating. The updates, slated to take effect in the 2025-26 season, introduce coach’s challenges and refine existing rules regarding continuous motion and physicality.
Coach’s Challenge Arrives
Inspired by the successful implementation in college football, the new coach’s challenge system will allow teams to request instant replay reviews of specific calls. A team must possess a timeout to initiate a challenge, and a successful review will grant them an additional challenge for the remainder of the game, including overtime. However, an unsuccessful challenge will forfeit any further challenge opportunities.
The challenges will focus on out-of-bounds determinations, as well as calls involving goaltending or basket interference. Importantly, these challenges won’t interfere with officials’ existing authority to review timing errors, scoring discrepancies, or flagrant fouls. Officials retain the power to initiate reviews on basket interference/goaltending and restricted arc plays during the final two minutes of regulation and overtime, citing data showing these reviews cause “minimal game interruptions.”
Refining the Game’s Rhythm
Beyond the challenge system, officials will emphasize addressing delay-of-game tactics, limiting time spent at the review monitor, and improving overall game efficiency. The committee also approved changes to the continuous motion rule, allowing offensive players who are fouled while driving to the basket to complete their shot attempt. Currently, players are only awarded a basket if fouled *during* the shooting motion.
According to the NCAA, approximately 35% of all Division I men’s basketball games went to overtime during the 2023-24 season, highlighting the need for rules that can help resolve close contests efficiently and fairly. (NCAA.com, April 15, 2024)
Looking Ahead: Potential Format Changes
The NCAA Men’s Basketball Rules Committee is also exploring a more substantial change: a potential shift from halves to quarters. Recognizing logistical hurdles, particularly concerning media timeouts and commercial inventory, the committee has formed a joint working group with conferences to gather feedback on this possibility. Any format changes would not be implemented until a future rules cycle.
“The committee realizes there are hurdles to implementing the quarter format to the game, including the structuring of media timeouts to accommodate commercial inventory.”
—NCAA Release, June 10, 2025
Enhanced Foul Calling
Officials will now have the authority to call a Flagrant 1 foul for contact to an opponent’s groin area, a previously gray area that only warranted a common foul or an automatic Flagrant 2 (and ejection). Additionally, if a shot clock malfunctions, the functioning shot clock can be used, eliminating the need to halt play and reset both clocks.
Finally, using the rim to gain an advantage during a shot attempt will now be ruled as basket interference. These changes collectively aim to create a more dynamic, fair, and efficiently-run college basketball experience for players and fans alike.
