"Downgraded a huge problem into a big one": Analyst calls out NCAA's latest coaching change to 'enhance flow of the game'

On Tuesday, the NCAA Playing Rules Oversight Panel announced changes for men's basketball that are meant to enhance the flow of games.

The panel will be introducing a coach's challenge for the 2025-26 campaign, similiar to the NBA, for each participating team whether it'll be for out-of-bounds calls, basket interference/goaltending and calls made in the restricted arc.

"The NCAA Playing Rules Oversight Panel on Tuesday approved changes to help enhance the flow of the game in men's basketball for the 2025-26 season. Changes include a coach's challenge at any point in a game to review out-of-bounds calls, basket interference/goaltending and whether a secondary defender was in the restricted-area arc," the official NCAA website posted on Tuesday.

"The panel also approved modifications to the rule on continuous motion on field goal attempts. Other enhancements to help with the flow of the game focus on the points of emphasis for officials for 2025-26. These will include directives to address delay-of-game tactics, limit time spent at the monitor, improve game administration efficiency and reduce physicality."

College basketball analyst Matt Norlander broke down the details on this change in his latest report on CBS Sports. He called out the NCAA for the change by giving his thoughts on how it could impact the sport moving forward.

"This, in theory, should help eliminate some reviews, but it's not as though they're going away. College basketball is probably still going to have too many reviews and those reviews are probably going to be a net negative on the product. Tuesday's vote is a half-measure. It downgraded a huge problem into a big one. But big is still problematic," Norlander reported.

"An abundance of tedious monitor reviews isn't solely a college basketball nuisance (the NBA has its fair share of suffering as well), but it would have been nice to see more ground covered. Officials don't need to be checking for minuscule game-clock discrepancies outside of, say, the final 15 seconds. (Unless there's a truly egregious timing error.)," he continued.

In the 2024-25 season, coach Todd Golden's Florida Gators defeated coach Kelvin Samspon's Houston Cougars in the 2025 NCAA national championship game by two points, 65-63. The Gators are now set to defend their throne next season with the aforementioned new rule of a coach's challenge.

Matt Norlander gives his thoughts on the new foul continuation rule in NCAA basketball

Apart from the coaches challenge, Matt Norlander also said in his report that referees in NCAA basketball will also now have a revamped foul continuation rule, meaning that there are more chances for players to get and-one calls on their shot attempts.

"That's not the only notable update from Tuesday. The men's college game will now have a foul continuation rule, similar to the NBA, that will induce more opportunities for and-1 three-point plays," Norlander said.

"The exact language reads, "Under the changes to the continuous motion rule, an offensive player who ends his dribble going toward the basket and absorbs contact from the defense will be permitted to pivot or complete the step the player is on and finish the field goal attempt," he explained.

Norlander offered his take on what he thinks the transition towards this change will be like.

"Expect interpretation of this new rule to fluctuate depending on the official. But it's an overdue update, for sure. As is the amended language for how to administer fouls for contact-to-the-groin plays, which can now be one of three options, as opposed to two," he shared.

With the new rules in place, there will be a lot of new implications, especially with foul calls and officiating, in the 2025-26 college hoops season, which commences later this year on Nov. 3.