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The largest conference in the state -- both in terms of number of schools and distance traveled -- unanimously voted Wednesday against adding a shot clock for varsity boys' and girls' basketball contests.

Athletic directors from all 24 schools in the Trailways Conference voted against adding the shot clock, and league representatives plan to send a letter of communication to the Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association voicing their collective displeasure with the measure.

"When you get surprised by something you didn't see coming it can leave a bad taste in your mouth," said Phil Tallman, president of the Trailways Conference and the athletic director at Wayland Academy in Beaver Dam. "The communication could have been much better. I was caught off guard by the addition of the shot clock. I didn't know it was up for a vote."

The WIAA Board of Control voted 6-4 (one person was absent) to add a 35-second shot clock for varsity boys and girls basketball games only beginning with the 2019-20 season during its meeting in Stevens Point on June 22. 

The initial push for adding the shot clock came last March from the WIAA Basketball Coaches Advisory Committee, which includes boys' coaches Dave Boland of Seneca, Todd Jahns of Kettle Moraine Lutheran, Chad Wienfurter of Auburndale and Brian Winchester of De Pere along with girls' coaches Todd Hansen of Pewaukee, Storm Harmon of Menomonie, Judy Harms of Whitewater and Lora Staveness of Madison Edgewood.

That committee of coaches voted 8-0 to add a shot clock. 

Exactly how all boys and girls varsity coaches across Wisconsin feel about adding a shot clock, though, is unknown. 

Following the recommendation of the Basketball Coaches Advisory Committee to add the shot clock, the WIAA Sports Advisory Committee, made of up athletic directors throughout the state, voted 12-2 against adding a shot clock.

"We voted it down due to cost, both initial expenses of buying the clocks and installing the clocks, but also the continued expense of paying people to run it for each varsity game," said Kathy Bates, athletic director at Appleton Xavier and a member of the Sports Advisory Committee. "We were also concerned about finding proper personnel to operate the shot clock.

"Some also expressed concern about finding room on the scorer's table for the shot-clock operator. We just did not feel there was a pressing need to add a shot clock. When we voted it down, we did not have a timetable of when it might be put into place or how long the shot clock would be for each possession. We actually voted in favor of a 45-second clock and not a 35-second clock. But our committee did not feel it was something we needed to add to the game."

The WIAA Executive Office staff had a split vote on adding the shot clock while the WIAA Advisory Council, made up of superintendents and principals from throughout the state, voted 15-0 against adding the shot clock last spring before it went to the Board of Control.

"Many of the athletic directors in the Trailways Conference said on Wednesday that adding a shot clock was a solution to a problem that does not exist," said Rich Fronheiser, commissioner of the Trailways Conference. "We have lopsided scores, especially on the girls side, and adding a shot clock might make those scores even more lopsided."

The Board of Control holds its summer meetings on August 11 and the shot clock is on the agenda, according to WIAA communications director Todd Clark. 

It is highly unusual for the Board of Control to vote in favor of a measure after both the Sports Advisory and Advisory Council vote against the same measure. 

"It could be reversed, but someone on the Board of Control would have to offer it back up to bring the measure back," Clark said. "The Board of Control rarely reneges on something they have passed." 

Still, Tallman and Fronheiser plan to draft the letter voicing the deep concern over adding a shot lock of the 24 small schools in the Trailways Conference.

"We will draft a letter and send it to the WIAA opposing the shot clock," Fronheiser said. "The schools feel it was the right time to say something about it."

Clark mentioned the WIAA expects to get plenty of feedback on the addition of the shot clock at the Area Meetings slated for the fall at locations across Wisconsin. That feedback will be helpful in gauging reaction from small and large schools as well as city and rural schools.  

"Our schools come from four different sections of the Area Meetings in the fall and somebody from one of our schools plans to mention it at each Area Meeting," Fronheiser said. 

Added Tallman, "I thought the majority of our schools in the Trailways Conference would be against adding the shot clock, but I was a little surprised it was a unanimous vote. We hope this opens the lines of communication to further discussion."