Kentucky high school football realignment is inevitable and a constant with school consolidation, enrollment numbers spiking and dropping and programs picking up or dropping the sport.
But basketball? It’s something that hasn’t been done in nearly 20 years and if the latest KHSAA board meeting is any indicator, it could be coming soon.
The board held their quarterly meeting on Wednesday to discuss a wide range of topics, alignment one of them along with an adjusted running clock rule in football and lowering the mercy rule in soccer.
What sparked the basketball realignment talks was new schools popping up in Louisville and Shelbyville with discussions taking place about district realignment in at least the Sixth, Seventh and Eighth Regions and possibly statewide.
Football realignment will come in 2025, the 2024 season the last of two seasons with the current alignment. The decision isn’t imminent, but according to KHSAA commissioner Julian Tackett, will be in future consideration once they get through football realignment after next season. Realignment for the 2025-26 basketball season would need to be finalized at the board’s January 2025 meeting.
Other matters discussed at the board meeting were moving the running clock rule in football from 36 to 35 points. Under the current rule, once a team has a 36-point lead, the clock will continuously run for the rest of the game unless a timeout is called, an injury occurs or a touchdown is scored. The new rule moves that down to 35 points, avoiding the dilemma a team faces having to go for two with a 34-point lead.
The KHSAA initially adopted a 45-point mercy rule in 2001 and lowered it to 36 in 2013.
Another tweak to lopsided games was the mercy rule in soccer was also adjusted from 10 goals to eight goals. The initial mercy rule was initiated in 2005 that determined if a team owned a 10-goal lead at either halftime or at any point in the second half, the match would end. The new rule moves it down to eight goals.
The next KHSAA board meeting is scheduled for Feb. 20.