The shot clock for high school basketball is coming to all schools in Nebraska. The National Federation of State High School Associations approved the use of the 35-second shot clock for high school basketball a couple years ago. Two years ago, in Nebraska, Class A schools started using the shot clock. This year it is being used by Class B schools. This year there were NSAA proposals by member schools to add the shot clock for next year in all classes in the state of Nebraska. At the January NSAA meeting, five of six legislative districts passed this proposal. The NSAA has notified all schools that this will be going in effect for next basketball season. All that is left is for the NSAA Board of Directors to vote and approve at their April meeting.
This is not something that the NSAA is pushing on our schools. Sacred Heart School, along with all the other Nebraska high schools, are members of the NSAA. The member schools decide what regulations and bylaws will be followed. The NSAA then implements these. So, the shot clock is coming at the request of the majority of the schools in the state of Nebraska. Often times people like to blame the NSAA for this or for that. The reality is that the NSAA carries out what the member schools recommend, propose, and approve for our schools. The member schools have voted in favor of adding the shot clock for all classes effective in 2024-25.
There is some opposition to the shot clock. Mainly the cost of it as well as schools will now have to hire an extra person to run it at varsity games. For many schools this will be a burden. I do not think the shot clock will cause major changes to the game of basketball but it is a national rule and Nebraska typically follows the NFHS when it comes to the governing of high school athletics.
I was proactive with this and started working on getting our school’s shot clocks a few months ago. The cost obviously is the #1 concern for Sacred Heart so we have sought bids and made comparisons to get the best deal possible and getting quality shot clocks. I am confident we will have a competent volunteer to run our shot clock at varsity games. We already have a great group of volunteers that help at our scoretable each game.
We have ordered Daktronics shot clocks that will be compatible with the scoreboards we have in the RAC. We will install them ourselves to save our school the installation cost. In researching shot clocks in the beginning, estimates to schools were as much as $12,000-$15,000. With us doing the leg work and comparing different bids, we will spend around $8,600 which includes new backboard lights.
The recent Bill Simon Memorial Shrimp Feed was designated as a fundraiser to help pay for our shot clocks. Due to a great turnout and some nice donations, the Shrimp Feed raised over $10,000. Thank you everyone who helped in anyway with this fundraiser! But even better news is that two local businesses, Farm and City Supply and Falls City Mercantile, would like to pay for our shot clocks. Thank you!
We will use this year’s Shrimp Feed money to help us pay McElroy’s bill as we are currently doing HVAC work to integrate our new boiler controls to work with our Siemens system controls. If you recall, our old boiler died last January so we replaced it with a new one. The new boiler works great and is heating our school much better and more efficiently than before. McElroy’s of Topeka installed it and they are now working on the controls to have it integrate with our HVAC system already in place. Prior to the new boiler, our Siemens system has had some issues. With the current work being done, each room has new controls and McElroy’s has remote access. In the end, it will help our building be better cooled and heated and also will save us money over time.
Sacred Heart School – a family educating heart, mind, body and spirit for this life and the next.
