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A Florida State basketball official went viral for his reaction to the Seminoles successfully challenging a play at his suggestion in the team’s 95-89 win over California in the second round of the ACC Tournament on Wednesday.
Michael Rubin, a student leader and head video manager for the men’s basketball team, became part of the March Madness chaos this week after proposing a challenge to head coach Luke Loucks that resulted in an overturned call in favor of the Seminoles.
Florida State Seminoles guard Martin Somerville (1) dribbles as California Golden Bears guard Nolan Dorsey (21) defends during the second half at Spectrum Center in Charlotte, North Carolina on March 11, 2026. (Bob Donnan/Imagn Images)
ACC posted a video of Rubin celebrating with another employee, resulting in the viral moment. Loucks can also be seen in the video turning on Rubin to punch him after the successful challenge.
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“Go away king,” one person wrote on X.
“The conviction to ask your HC to challenge the play is big enough courage… so do it right!!! that builds confidence right there,” added another.
Rubin’s role this season stems from the NCAA Playing Rules Oversight Panel, which approved a new rule — the coach’s challenge — in June. According to the rule, coaches can challenge “out-of-bounds calls, basket interference/goaltending and whether a secondary defender was in the arc of the restricted area.”
Florida State Seminoles head coach Luke Loucks during the ACC men’s basketball tournament between the California Golden Bears and the Florida State Seminoles at the Spectrum Center in Charlotte, North Carolina on March 11, 2026. (John Byrum/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
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Teams must be given a timeout to call for an instant replay, and if the challenge is successful, they are allowed one more video review challenge for the remainder of the game. This includes overtime. However, if a team’s first pass challenge is unsuccessful, they are not allowed to challenge for the rest of the competition.
Florida State has used Rubin and assistant director of operations Ryan Shnider to take advantage of the new rule change. According to the team’s website, the pair sits behind Loucks “and intensely studies every play of every game.”
Florida State Seminoles forward Alex Steen (25) reacts during the first half at Spectrum Center in Charlotte, North Carolina on March 11, 2026. (Bob Donnan/Imagn Images)
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“These guys (Ryan and Michael) work their tails off every day,” Loucks said earlier this month via the team’s website. “They do it because they love the game and they love the program. They put in so much time and effort and they’re in a tough situation. It’s a really challenging job because I’m breathing down their necks and asking if I should challenge or not. They have to make a split-second decision that can win you or lose you a game.”
Rubin is in his third season as a team manager and is in his third year in sports management. Ahead of Florida State’s quarterfinal game against Duke on Thursday night, Rubin had a farewell message on X following his viral moment.
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“We move on – grateful for every moment.”
