LEXINGTON, Ky. — The Kentucky High School Athletic Association Board of Control voted Wednesday to adopt a 35-second shot clock for varsity boys and girls basketball teams starting in the 2027-28 season.
We confirmed the news with St. Henry Athletic Director Jim Demler, a KHSAA Board of Control representative for Regions 9-16.
Brian Milam, KHSAA Communications and Media Relations Director, said the board of control voted 13-5 in favor of the shot clock.
KHSAA member schools can begin getting accustomed to a shot clock for the 2025-2026 season, but not during district or regional contests.
The Louisville Invitational Tournament experimented with a 35-second timer last season and the reps from Louisville said it went off without any problems.
It has been a huge area of discussion throughout the Commonwealth for years, with the belief that using a shot clock will advance the game. It was proposed to begin the shot clock era in Kentucky for the 2026-27 season, but that vote did not pass.
"I am excited that the KHSAA has adopted the shot clock," Cooper boys basketball coach Justin Holthaus said in a text message. "I believe it will continue to grow high school basketball with an emphasis on pace of play. Coaches and players have done a great job adjusting to rule changes in the past so I don't foresee this being of much concern once implemented."
Lloyd Memorial boys basketball coach Michael Walker said he is fully supportive of the shot clock adoption. Walker led Lloyd (26-7 record in 2024-25) this past March to its first Ninth Region final appearance since 1996.
“Now real basketball has to be played,” Walker said in a text message. “No more running offense for several minutes. The strategy is do I run a set or do I let them play in space. This will help kids learn how to play and some coaches have to change their philosophy. This will help kids translate to the next level. The past three years we played some games with a shot clock. Plus, all these kids play AAU (Amateur Athletic Union) which during the live period they use a shot clock. I’m excited for it.”
Covington Catholic coach Jake Thelen, a former University of Cincinnati men’s basketball assistant coach, said he loves the decision about the shot clock.
“I think it’s great for the game of basketball at the high school level,” Thelen said in a text message. “Not much learning for us. We play fast already as it is.”
Campbell County boys basketball coach Brent Sowder said it will be a “great experience for the guys who want to play at the next level.”
Sowder said he wonders how the shot clock will be implemented and how it will be paid for by member schools, noting it’s important there is personnel who know how to properly operate the shot clock during a game.
“I could see it being difficult for some smaller schools in Kentucky so I do sympathize with that,” Sowder said in a text message. “From purely my standpoint and Campbell County basketball - I’m excited for it.”
Newport boys basketball coach Rod Snapp said if one loves the game, that individual will adapt to any challenge as a coach or as a player.
"Of course I will have to change my style some and situations I like to try and control," Snapp wrote in a text message. "Playing at what I call a controlled pace at times and wanting that last shot in the last minute or so of the quarter will now change some. I have been fortunate to have coached some games in high school already with a shot clock and 35 seconds is a little longer than I thought."
Snapp joked he may become a shot clock operator one day when he completes his coaching journey.
"Schools will have to pay for shot clocks and the cost of clock installation - I would not think that would be cheap," Snapp said. "Definitely some interesting days ahead for Kentucky high school hoops."
St. Henry District boys basketball coach Tim Sullivan said there are going to be a lot of questions about how to pay for a shot clock and who will run it, but he believes that will take care of itself in time.
"As a coach who believes in playing solid man to man half-court defense, I absolutely love it," Sullivan wrote in a text message. "In my 19th season as a head coach and 23rd overall, it excites me that we have a new challenge to the game where we must adjust how we operate. I'm excited about this step in the process of preparing our kids if they want to play college at some level."
Cooper girls basketball coach Christian Stefanopoulos Prohaska, who has more than a decade of collegiate coaching experience, said the shot clock is "great" for girls basketball.
"There will be some games it will greatly impact but overall I'm excited to get it implemented to speed up the high school game," Prohaska said. "I never forgot in one of my high school games that a team stood at half court and held he ball for several minutes almost the entire quarter of a game."
Ryle girls basketball coach Katie Haitz likes the idea that the 35-second shot clock matches the college rules.
"I do think it will change the philosophy of end-game strategy just like when they recently adjusted the number of fouls each quarter and the bonus free-throw rule," Haitz said.
Jordan Morey with the National Federation of State High School Associations said 35 states are using the shot clock in some capacity this school year.
There have been multiple levels of discussion about the shot clock in Ohio, specifically from an officiating and operator standpoint and a financial perspective over the years.
“The OHSAA continues to monitor the start of the shot clock in high school basketball which we have done for a number of years,” OHSAA media relations director Tim Stried said. “We now have permitted two in-season tournaments in conjunction with the Ohio High School Basketball Coaches Association in which the shot clock is utilized. And we continue to get feedback from those events.”
Indiana High School Athletic Association Commissioner Paul Neidig is not in favor of adding the shot clock to the Indiana high school game, according to IHSAA sports information director Jason Wille.
“I’d hate to take away that coaching tool from our great coaches,” Neidig said in a statement. “I’ve also got coaches who, some years, tell me we need a shot clock because they’re very athletic, and then the next year, the team makeup has changed, and they’re not as much in favor of the shot clock.”
