From Contributed Reports

The TSSAA Board of Control signaled a new era for high school hoops on Tuesday, approving a phased implementation of a basketball shot clock and a move toward RPI-based seeding for the Division I state tournament. The decisions highlight a busy summer session that also saw the board finalize classification procedures and mandate new training requirements for coaches across the state.
The most anticipated move involves a multi-year rollout of the basketball shot clock, which will first be permitted for use in Hall of Champions games, holiday tournaments, and summer competitions. Full implementation for the regular season and postseason is slated for the 2029-30 school year. Additionally, beginning with the 2027-28 season, the Division I state tournament will move away from random draws for bracket placement in favor of an RPI seeding model currently used in soccer. While those major changes were greenlit, the board opted to table discussion on making the district tournament third-and-fourth-place game an elimination contest until August.
On the administrative front, the board elected to use the yearly ADM figures from the TISA funding formula from the 2025-26 school year to classify Division I schools for the 2027-2029 cycle.
In a move to bolster compliance, the board now requires every coach in Tennessee to complete a new TSSAA Recruiting Rule course through the NFHS Learn platform upon their appointment. The board also expanded the definition of “non-traditional students” to align with recent state legislation and earmarked $40,500 in grants for 27 schools recognized through the A.F. Bridges Sportsmanship Program.