Spring High Lions and Klein Collins Tigers football fans may soon be able to watch regular-season Friday night games on live television.
The University Interscholastic League (UIL) Legislative Council approved a proposal during its Oct. 18-19 meeting in Austin to allow live TV broadcasts of regular-season Friday night football, according to a UIL press release. Both participating schools would need to agree before any game could be televised.
The rule change still needs approval from Texas Education Commissioner Mike Morath before it takes effect. The Houston Chronicle reported the change would go into effect Aug. 1, 2027, though the UIL's own announcement did not specify a date.
The UIL has banned live Friday night TV broadcasts for decades. TexasHSFootball.com reported the restriction dates to 1985, when it was put in place to protect game-night attendance. The UIL approved live internet streaming of Friday night games in June 2021, according to the Dallas Express, but linear television broadcasts, meaning scheduled TV channels, have remained off-limits.
The proposal would not force any school onto television. Schools could simply decline.
Texas High School Coaches Association (THSCA) Executive Director Joe Martin brought the proposal to the council alongside the Texas High School Athletic Directors Association (THSADA) and the Texas Association of Broadcasters. Martin told the council that the THSCA board voted unanimously to lift the ban, citing competition for attention from college football, the Chronicle reported. THSADA Executive Director Rusty Dowling also spoke in support at the meeting.
"Our coaches believe that we need to promote Texas high school football as many places as we possibly can, whether it's on linear TV or it's live streaming," Martin said at the council meeting, according to the Chronicle.
For Spring-area fans, the practical effect is straightforward: if Morath approves, a local broadcaster could negotiate to carry a Spring Lions or Klein Collins Tigers game live, provided both schools in the matchup say yes. No school would be required to participate.
The UIL also approved several other rule changes at the Oct. 18-19 meeting, including home-field advantage for first-round playoff games in all team sports starting in 2027-28 and a 35-second shot clock for varsity basketball no earlier than 2028-29.
The current Friday night broadcast ban remains in place until Morath acts. The UIL's playoff schedule lists the first round for Nov. 12-14, with state championship games set for Dec. 16-19 at AT&T Stadium in Arlington.
