By a vote of 170-166, the full membership of the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association on Monday approved the addition of a 35-second shot clock to high school basketball starting in the 2027-28 season.
As reported by Darren Cooper of NorthJersey.com, the basketball shot clock was one of three proposals that passed Monday, and by far the closest. New Jersey now becomes the 33rd state to adopt a basketball shot clock.
A similar proposal for a shot clock in lacrosse failed 166-149 with 21 abstentions. The abstentions, most likely representing schools that don't offer lacrosse, were likely the reason the proposal failed.
"Shot clocks in basketball and lacrosse have been a hot-button issue the past few months in the New Jersey athletics community," Cooper wrote. "Athletic directors against shot clocks continued to point out the initial cost of equipment and finding personnel to run them."
NJSIAA executive director Colleen Maguire said she was sensitive to those concerns, but schools will have to figure it out.
“They have to work with their colleagues and their conferences and see how they can come together and put things in place,” Maguire said. “We certainly will work with the coaches associations and work with vendors to get bulk rate discounts. There should be lots of vendors out there eager to work with us now. We recognize that schools will need different options, portable options, some will want the higher end.”
