IHSA adopts mandatory shot clock for varsity basketball beginning with 2026-27 season
By Mark Jurgena, Advocate Sports Staff
Tuesday morning the Illinois High School Association announced that beginning with the 2026-27 school year all varsity-level high school boys and girls basketball games will operate under a 35-second shot clock.
Illinois becomes the 28th state to adopt the shot clock for varsity competition. Colorado approved it for 2026-27 last month while North Dakota was the first to approve it in 2011.
“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,” said IHSA Executive Director Craig Anderson in a press release. “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.”
Within the local Better Newspapers coverage area, schools are split on current shot clock availability.
The two largest schools Triad and Collinsville both have working shot clocks already installed in their respective gymnasiums.
The smaller two schools Greenville and Mulberry Grove do not.
This ruling is part of a years-long process to get shot clocks into Illinois basketball. Several coaches from northern Illinois organized the movement and presented their plan to the National Federation of High Schools in 2021 to get NFHS approval for any state to use it nationwide.
The Federation approved it across the United States for the 2021-22 school year per state adoption.
Pat Woods who is currently the AD at Bolingbrook High School after a longtime stint as the boys coach at St. Charles (East) was a key figure in getting the shot clock both in Illinois and nationally.
“It’s about time!!!” said Woods Tuesday morning. “I understand there are some constraints people will face with cost and workers – but it’s best for the game and for the kids!”
Longtime Greenville High School boys basketball coach Todd Cantrill is adamantly onboard with the IHSA ruling
“It’s about time,” he began. “I think it’s good for the game. It will create better basketball players and smarter players. I don’t think it will change a lot of possessions until late in games. It will force teams to play out each quarter.
“I am excited for it!”
Triad boys basketball coach Jeff Guidry agrees with the decision.
“I think IHSA has made the right decision,” he said. “They’ve done a really good job of evaluating this change with the utilization in some events and tournaments last couple of years. Seeking input and opinions from coaches. I’m glad to see it’s going to happen and it’s a much needed change to improve the high school game.”
Josh Hunt, the Triad girls basketball coach also agrees with the new rule.
“I think it’s great for the game,” he said. “We’re trying to advance to be as much like the next level as possible. College basketball uses the shot clock, so I think it will be great for the IHSA to do so as well.”
Collinsville has used the shot clock for the past two years at their Prairie Farms Holiday Classic over the Christmas holidays.
“This is a long overdue decision by the IHSA,” said Collinsville’s Hall of Fame coach Darin Lee. “I think we should already have a shot clock for this season. Teams and conferences should have the option to use the shot clock in regular season games as we do in our holiday tournament.”
Lee has been outspoken in his support of the shot clock and his experience playing with the 35-second version has been a positive one.
Collinsville is 10-1 in games that have used the time restriction.
“I have enjoyed every aspect of the clock,” said Lee. “Like I said before, the shot clock is used in every country in the world and many states. Illinois is woefully behind the times.”
Other IHSA Board rulings
The IHSA announced that for both the boys and girls state basketball tournaments each team will get a two-day experience at state beginning this coming season. Currently if a team loses in the semifinals during the day they play the third place game that same night.
Lake Shelbyville will replace Lake Carlyle as the host of the bass fishing state finals and Willowbrook High School will host the girls flag football state championships this fall.