ESPN college basketball analyst Jay Bilas gave a bold take on a few bombshell changes he thinks college basketball needs to make. As the NCAA Tournament inches closer, more eyes will be on this great sport over the next few weeks. March Madness is one of the most electric times of the year, and fans will be sure to have opinions on what goes down in these elimination games. Bilas, who is no stranger to controversial takes, however, made note of some of college basketball’s flaws in its current state.
During the broadcast of the Florida-Alabama game, Bilas discussed the various rule changes that need to be implemented to improve college basketball for both the fans and players.
“We need to go to quarters. We’re the only game of basketball played in the world that doesn’t have quarters. And the reason I like it, is you can reset team fouls after 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 and that’s it. Because it’s not their fault; it’s the rule, but referees spend more time watching TV than they do officiating the game.”
College basketball’s newest rules are with the intention of getting the calls right
To be fair to the NCAA, the intentions behind some recent rule changes are very good. Referees can now go to video review more often to ensure their calls are right. However, these new rules do extend games a lot on too many occasions, especially towards the end or regulation.
Either way, Bilas’ requested rule changes should not affect how games are officiated in real time. NCAA referees generally let the players get away with more contact and impose their will on games a lot less than, for example, NBA officials. It’s fair to make the case that the main thing dragging down the NBA product is the officiating and how the refs are given power to manipulate the game. There generally is no star treatment in college, and the refereeing on the college level encourages more diverse play styles compared to the NBA.
Nevertheless, Bilas makes a good point about the quarter system as it relates to fouls. Each team only having seven total fouls to give makes some games free-throw shooting contests at the end. In that regard, players should have a longer leash to be physical at the college level. Overall, though, whether the NCAA listens to any of these rule changes is hard to tell. But Bilas’ takes certainly make for an interesting conversation.
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