35-second shot clock coming to IHSA for 2026-27 high school season

ROCKTON — It’s still two seasons out, but a 35-second shot clock is definitely being adopted by the Illinois High School Association.

It will come with no trepidation from Hononegah girls basketball head coach Jason Brunke, whose team isn’t shy about launching shots and figures it could help on the defensive end when it becomes official in 2026.

“I’ve actually been for it because I think it will keep the game moving and speed things up a bit,” the Beloit Daily News All-Area Coach of the Year said. “For our style of play, it’s actually good. We like to get shots up quickly so that’s no problem. It will mainly help us on defense. When we’ve had problems, it’s against teams that are patient against our ball press. This will put a little clock on their ability to stay patient. It will move them along.”

The 35-second shot clock is coming to both Illinois boys and girls prep basketball for the 2026-27 season. The IHSA Board of Directors approved the move at its Monday meeting.

Schools across Illinois will be required to have a shot clock for varsity games at the start of the 2026-27 seasons. The use of a shot clock for lower levels will be determined by conferences and a mutual agreement between competing teams in non-conference games.

“This past year there were some tournaments that were utilizing it to test it,” he said. “We haven’t had any experience with it. But I knew that it was likely coming based on everything I heard.”

Brunke said the pushback wasn’t coming much from coaches, but rather administrators who knew it would be an added expense in terms of the clock apparatus and the time-keeper.

“You have to find an employee and pay them to work the shot clock and it has to be someone a little more educated in basketball than knowing how to stop it and turn it on,” Brunke said. “It’s another official watching over that, so it’s another layer of expense.”

The move comes two years after the IHSA allowed the use of a shot clock at shootouts and tournaments. IHSA executive director Craig Anderson said in a statement released Tuesday that the feedback from those events influenced the new mandate.

“The IHSA has allowed the shot clock to be used in tournaments and shootouts the past two seasons, and the overwhelming feedback we have received from coaches is that it is time to embrace the shot clock in all varsity contests,” Anderson said. “We believe the two-season lead time will provide our schools with ample opportunity to install the shot clocks and get comfortable with them from both a coaching and game administration perspective.”

• STATE REVAMPED: The IHSA board also approved a new state finals schedule for both boys and girls that will ensure all teams have a two-day experience next year. The Class 1A-3A semifinals will take place on Thursday while the Class 4A semifinals and Class 1A-3A third-place games will happen Friday. The Class 4A third-place game and all championships will be on Saturday.