Epic changes coming in 2026 will alter the IHSA’s biggest sports
Years bleed in the prep sports world, one right into the next, without much difference.
But it might be wise to buckle up for 2026. It’ll be unforgettable for two giant reasons.
Changes are coming to our two biggest IHSA sports later this year. One popped up in the last couple months while the other has been waiting in the wings for a couple years.
The first is playoff expansion in football, while the other is a shot clock in boys and girls basketball. In two fell swoops, game-changers are arriving next fall and winter.
Expansion is nothing new in football, but the boost approved last month could be a bridge too far. It’s comparable to what many feel was an unnecessary expansion from six to eight classes in the 2001 season.
The playoff field will grow from 256 teams to 384 spread across the same eight classes. Each class will have 48 teams and create a bye for the top 16 seeds.
The move crosses a line never before breached in IHSA football: a massive number of qualifiers with losing records. In the past we’ve seen the occasional 4-5 team sneak in, but starting in the 2026 season there may be 2-7 teams in the playoffs.
Not only will that create more blowouts in the opening rounds, but the top teams will receive an immense advantage by not having to play a first-round game. The top 16 seeds still only need five playoff victories to win a state title, while the others grind through six as part of a grueling 15-game season.
The change is drastic, but IHSA member schools last month overwhelmingly approved the proposal by a vote of 377-251 with 96 abstentions. That’s a firm mandate for expansion, even if it means a longer season and an unnecessary edge for the best teams.
But as local football pundits continue to debate the merits of playoff expansion, there was a sense of inevitability with the shot clock’s arrival in IHSA boys and girls basketball. The only surprise is it took this long to arrive.
In the last couple seasons, shootouts and tournaments have been testing the shot clock. Meanwhile, high schools have been working through the logistics of facility upgrades and the need for extra staffing to operate the new equipment.
This time next year, everyone will be using it. The advantage? No more stall ball where teams milk the clock to limit possessions of better opponents.
The biggest impact will be on defense. In recent years, criticism has been lobbed at many local teams (some very successful) for supposedly holding the ball too long on offense.
In reality many of those teams will benefit the most because of the great defense they play. If you’re already accustomed to forcing opponents into bad shots, that strategy becomes more effective with a shot clock.
The public never universally agrees with significant changes to the IHSA rule book, but we eventually get used to them. Playoff football expansion and the shot clock — no matter how jarring — will begin to blend in like everything else.
Regardless, I’m looking forward to an interesting 2026.