College basketball is in a state of flux with significant changes, like NCAA Tournament expansion, on the table, and ESPN’s Jay Bilas added a couple of rule changes to the conversation during Wednesday’s top-10 matchup between Alabama and Florida. Bilas emphasized the need to move away from two-half system and adopt the four-quarter model, as women’s college basketball did nearly a decade ago, and he pushed for reform to the replay system, which currently leads to extended in-game delays.
Bilas, who is one of the most prominent broadcast figures in college basketball, is not alone in these wishes. The replay system fell under particular scrutiny this season with games regularly extending beyond their two-hour windows due to lengthy official reviews.
“We need to go to quarters,” Bilas said. “We’re the only game of basketball played in the world that doesn’t have quarters, men’s basketball. The reason I like it is you can reset team fouls at the end of the first and third quarters. It’s just a smart thing to do. And we have to change the replay rule. Make it like the NBA. Give each team one challenge. If they get their first one right, they keep it for one more, then that’s it. The referees — and it’s not their fault, it’s the rule — they spend more time watching TV than they do officiating the game.”
A potential move from halves to quarters would likely eliminate two media timeouts, which would reduce delays but eliminate some incentive for broadcast partners. The women’s format includes media breaks at the five-minute mark of each quarter and between periods, totaling six timeouts to the eight on the men’s side.
Changes to the replay system may already be on the horizon. Last spring, the NCAA adopted an experimental rule to be implemented during the 2025 NIT wherein out-of-bounds calls in the final two minutes can only be reviewed at a coach’s request, rather than voluntarily by the officials. Failed appeals will cost a coach one timeout, and if the challenging team does not have any timeouts, the failed appeal will result in a technical foul.
Should the change go over smoothly in this month’s NIT, the NCAA rules committee could recommend its use in the regular season. Its implementation may reduce the number of reviews that occur in the final two minutes, significantly speeding up end-of-game situations.
RELATED (VIP) — 2025 NBA Draft stock watch: Johni Broome, Mark Sears headline major movers entering March Madness
Beyond those reforms, it remains unclear whether more broad changes like NCAA Tournament expansion will come to fruition in the near future. ESPN’s Pete Thamel reported last month that March Madness decision-makers favor a 76-team field over a 72-team field, but they have yet to reach a consensus on whether to expand the bracket in the first place.
This post was originally published on this site be sure to check out more of their content.
