NBC NFL rules analyst Terry McAulay was “deeply disappointed” that officials did not give Dan Hurley a technical foul for getting directly in the face of a referee after UConn’s stunning buzzer-beater three led them past the Duke Blue Devils. And now he may just be as equally disappointed in CBS rules analyst Gene Steratore.
A truly bizarre subplot of the epic UConn victory was that Hurley inexplicably went nose to nose with referee Roger Ayers after the basket. Hurley has been widely criticized for his volatile behavior towards college basketball officials, and this seemed to fit squarely in that bucket, drawing condemnation from many voices, including McAulay.
pic.twitter.com/kMA7lvN1av
— SendDaVideo (@SendDaVideo) March 30, 2026
However, several days after the video of Hurley and Ayers went viral, CBS rules analyst Steratore took to social media to defend the no-call, drawing on his officiating experience at both the top levels of the NFL and college basketball to explain why it was the right decision.
Having reffed both sports at a very high level, I can tell you that the atmosphere in basketball and dealing with coaches is very different.
It’s all game long, a constant back and forth, and there is a mutual understanding between basketball refs and coaches. It’s part of what… pic.twitter.com/WD0EDTRKvP
— Gene Steratore (@GeneSteratore) April 1, 2026
Steratore’s post reads in full:
Having reffed both sports at a very high level, I can tell you that the atmosphere in basketball and dealing with coaches is very different. It’s all game long, a constant back and forth, and there is a mutual understanding between basketball refs and coaches. It’s part of what makes reffing it so much fun. I’m happy that Roger Ayers (who always referees games at a Final Four level) handled the end of the game the way that he did. This was not a confrontational situation. Uconn hit a buzzer beater a few seconds before the viral moment between Ayers and Hurley. Ayers is telling Hurley that the game isn’t over yet (there was a clock adjustment from 0.02 to 0.04 – which is notable for catch and shoot). Hurley isn’t physically contacting him, he’s just between Ayers and the scorer’s table. I’ve been in some wild environments/end of game scenarios both in basketball and football. They feel surreal and you are in a state of shock to an extent. This is how great officials handle these situations, so kudos to Roger Ayers and congrats to UConn.
After that lengthy explanation, an X user forwarded the post to McAulay, telling him, “delete your account.”
The NBC rules analyst replied with a message not just to the social media antagonist but also to Steratore’s opinion. He then doubled down on his earlier opinion that Hurley’s behavior went unpunished.
Zero chance. This take three days later more than convinces me that my assessment was correct. https://t.co/Nludg7lCWE
— Terry McAulay (@tjmcaulay) April 2, 2026
“Zero chance. This take three days later more than convinces me that my assessment was correct,” McAulay replied.
Maybe it’s not fair to put this in the “shots fired” category or suggest that Terry McAulay and Gene Steratore are suddenly going to start feuding with each other over refereeing decisions like they are Stephen A. Smith and Skip Bayless. But McAulay very clearly calls out Steratore for the lateness of his thoughts and their substance. And he disagrees with both.
When it comes to referees, it’s very rare to see a high-level disagreement like this. In fact, one of the biggest issues fans have with rules analysts is that they are way too deferential to the calls their counterparts make on the field or the floor when analyzing them during games. Gene Steratore has a reputation for doing just that a lot of the time and for protecting fellow officials. Terry McAulay often bucks that trend, which is why he’s currently the best in the business.
Still, it’s one thing to call out fellow officials. It’s another thing to call out your fellow rules analyst, given that it’s an even smaller fraternity.