Texas high school basketball will get a 35-second shot clock, and Clear Lake and Clear Brook are in the first group of schools affected.
The University Interscholastic League (UIL) Legislative Council approved the shot clock proposal Monday, Oct. 19, during its session at the Westin Austin Domain hotel, according to the Galveston County Daily News. The rule still needs sign-off from the state Commissioner of Education before it takes effect.
Both Clear Lake and Clear Brook compete in Class 6A under the UIL's 2026-28 biennial realignment, according to UIL enrollment data. That puts them in the first wave: 5A and 6A programs must use the shot clock no earlier than the 2028-29 school year. Class 3A and 4A schools follow no earlier than 2030-31, and 1A and 2A programs no earlier than 2032-33, KRIS-TV reported.
Teams won't have to wait until 2028 to try it. Programs may use shot clocks during 2026 varsity showcases and invitational tournaments if both coaches agree, Hoodline reported, citing the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. That mutual-agreement option extends to non-district games in the 2027-28 season.
The council had rejected or taken no action on shot clock proposals in four consecutive prior attempts, Hoodline reported. Texas joins 37 of 51 state athletic associations that use or have approved a shot clock, according to National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) reporting from September.
Cost and staffing remain open questions. NFHS guidelines call for two visible countdown displays behind each backboard, a horn distinct from the game clock and a dedicated table operator. A Class 1A representative raised concerns about equipment costs in smaller schools during the council's deliberations, according to the Star-Telegram's reporting. School districts will cover equipment, installation and operating costs under the approved plan.
The shot clock was one of several changes the council passed Oct. 19. The council also approved home-field advantage for the first round of playoffs in all classifications for football, basketball, soccer, team tennis and girls volleyball, effective with the 2027-28 school year, according to the Austin American-Statesman. The team with the higher district finish will choose whether to host or agree to a neutral site.
The council approved girls flag football "in concept" as a pilot program with no more than two classifications, set to begin no earlier than 2028-29. Brett Stewart, director of youth development for the Houston Texans, told the Statesman there are more than 250 schools and 6,000 athletes participating in the sport statewide.
"We want to make sure the programs that are interested in being a part of the girls flag have the opportunity and have the resources to do so," Stewart said.
The council also passed a proposal allowing linear television broadcasts of regular-season Friday night football games when both schools agree, KRIS-TV reported.
Clear Lake and Clear Brook boys' and girls' basketball programs have roughly two seasons to prepare before the shot clock becomes mandatory for 6A play.
