The NCAA playing rules oversight panel approved a new distance from the 3-point line in men's college basketball across all divisions, according to the NCAA.
The 3-point line will be set at the international distance which is 22 feet and 1 3/4 inches. The rule will be in effect for Division 1 this upcoming 2019-2020 season and for divisions 2 and 3 teams, it will be in effect for the 2020-21 season.
The change in distance of the 3-point line comes following positive feedback from coaches whose teams participated in the 2019 and 2018 National Invitational Tournament, where the international 3-point distance was used as an experiment.
Teams in the 2019 NIT averaged 23 percent from the 3-point line and the 3-point shooting percentage for each team went from 35 percent to 33 percent.
The reasoning for the change is that it makes the lane more available for dribble drive plays from the perimeter, slows the trend of 3-point shooting becoming too prevalent in men's college basketball by making the shot more challenging and requires the defense to cover more space.
For more information on other rule changes and more, click here.