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This is definitely more of a problem in metro areas ... much harder to create super teams when the two schools in the county are 30 minutes apart and some kids would have to drive nearly an hour to get to the other school.

They have very nice helmets though -- at least the ones I could find.

I think this point of accountability holds true in this era of transferring. It's just too easy to do now with open enrollment/vouchers/etc. It just seem to have gotten even bigger on the Public->Public and Private->Public transfer side. The big issue in my opinion are the adults in the situation. Coaches do what they have to do to try and build their programs whether I agree with that or not, its what they need to do to compete. Its the outside voices/trainers/advisors who get in the mix that I don't like.

Thanks LeBron 😂

Good for them, I guess:

Andrean at Luers...Tough opening games for Luers, good for them to get battle tested early. Will find some wins later in the year for sure...Andrean by 3 Carroll at Center Grove...Chargers sent a big message in Week 1...another big game this week should get them in the conversation of 6A favorites...Chargers by 7 Decatur Central at Wayne...DC has been a solid program as of late, hoping Wayne can keep morale up during a brutal 4 week stretch to start the year...Decatur by 28 East Noble at Snider...East Noble took care of business at home last week, another win over an SAC team would be huge. Snider blew the game last week, if they can't win the debut at the "Ike", they could be in danger of another below .500 season...Snider by 1 Concordia at Eastbrook...Cadets had a great win last week, don't know much about Eastbrook so staying local here...Cadets by 2 Dwenger at St. Francis De Sales (Ohio)...I have a lot of the same questions/feelings about this Saints team after week 1 as I did last year. Defense looks the part, offense has a lot they need to figure out, really concerned on the Special Teams this year though. That being said I think they go on the road and get it done...BD by 10 North Side at New Haven...as if the on the field let down wasn't enough they needed to overcome, the off field fiasco in the halls of North Side could derail the week. But it could also force the team/remaining staff to lock in and focus on things within their control, this is a good matchup for that as the talent gap should be overwhelming no matter who starts at QB...North by 21 Northrop at Warsaw...with no chance to see how the Bruins looked in week 1, going in blind. Think Bart ball prevails...Warsaw by 14 South Side at St. Joseph...great program win for the Archers...but SBSJ is a different animal, especially on the road...St.Joe by 30 Noblesville at Homestead...hopefully this game gives us a better look at what Homestead could be this year, but better matchup than having to face the #2 team in the state...Homestead by 3

May 4, 2026 IHSAA Board of Directors Meeting Minutes: https://www.ihsaa.org/sites/default/files/documents/05.04.2026 Board of Directors.pdf Getting closer to passage. Only a matter of time.

You bring up Illinois for Co-Op but Illinois also has 8 man football. Even with some schools that Co-Op to have an 8 man football team.

Are students -- without transferring -- currently allowed to play a sport at a different school if that sport is not offered at their school?

I was wondering the same. According to my good friend ChatGPT, 2009 was the last time it happened. Eastbrook beat South Adams 26-18.

EDIT: a few years ago: as written the proposal was shot down: 19-0: The latest CO-OP was 6 yes to 12 Nos'. This was for full sports not specifically to football.

See I was in the meeting... where CO OP were talked about and discussed at length..... I have been in same meetings where 8 man has been. Sorry your opinion of CO OP failed so miserably at the level of IHSAA executive board, I believe the vote was 19-0 in favor or NO CO OP from the IHSAA executive board..... Your axe is with them it seems not me nor iFCA who has been successfully for now going on I believe the 4th year of 8 man in our state, could be 3rd year.

Yes, after watching numerous 8-man games I no longer have the desire to do so. I'm generally ok with that.

I understand that you don't like anybody other than tackle football coaching professionals with a sufficient amount of knowledge opining THEIR views on the GID. That's ok, just stick to your navel-gazing IFCA cohorts and let others put forward alternate workable solutions in the face of declining enrollments and waning tackle football interests in primarily rural areas of our state. Oh, that view hasn't changed. Tackle football is still a dangerous activity that should be played by adults, not children. Statistics back this up. But I'm also a pragmatist who realizes most parents don't have an issue with putting their children in such a harm's way. Are there peer-reviewed studies out their showing that 8-man tackle football is objectively safer than 11-man tackle football?

But he wasn’t the HC. 🤷‍♂️ Any current HHC coach could be a coordinator for John Hart at Brownsburg and win State Championships.

Attica @ Tri County - I think Tri Country is a little worse than Attica. I'll take the Rambles getting their only win of the season. 26-6 Covington @ Englewood - Covington by as much as they want. Yes they've played really bad competition but they are good. Playing a bad team is much better than having the week off. Their QB is one of the better athletes in the conference and he'll show it again this week. Covington 42-6 FC @ Cville - Close one for FC last week. They lost their best player #22 about 10 plays into the game and still had a chance to win the game. I do think part of that is due to Southmont being down this year but I don't think anyone should sleep on the Mustangs. Earl and the Stangs get their first win of the season 26-14 Paris @ NV - I don't know anything about Paris but I know enough about NV to know that this game won't be close. The Falcons will struggle offensively because of their youth in certain positions. They need to get through this year then the next two will be better. Paris 45-12 Seeger @ BC - @ThePrince How about that game last week??? If only Herbie had his D1 TE. The Bison will win one game all season and it WON'T be this week. It will be week 8. Cronk gets his first win and it's by a lot. The Pats throw the ball all over BC. Running clock at halftime. Seeger 52-6 SV @ Sullivan - SV has all the athletes in the world but I still think they are young and not physical enough. Sullivan will win this one. Sullivan 35-14 West Vigo @ PH - Crabtree goes to PH and walks out with a win. The Vikings looked much better in the second half compared to the first and I think they will carry that momentum over to this game. WV 28-21 RP @ Tri - Another great game for the #1 ranked Panthers. Their win last week shows how good this team really is. I don't see the Panthers letting this one slip away from them. They seem hungry and ready for this week. It's looking more and more like 15-0. RP shocks all of you with dominance this week. RP 56-6.

I'll give you that. I never thought I'd see the day so many kids would be allowed to transfer. Neighborhood kids enjoyed creating rivalries with surrounding neighborhoods or having a cross town rival..now they all go workout together during the off-season and speak of creating super teams..Loyalty has been left behind..

Good points: I don't want to underestimate the value of the CYO system. Bowen did have some pretty good offenses at Snider. Kudos to him for putting the Bruins in the position they were in last season. At the end of the day, I think my problem is with the new transfer rule. Like college, it just created one hell of a mess. Get kicked out of practice? So what, I'll transfer. Don't like the way a coach talks to me? So what, I'll transfer. The guy that spoke to me at summer camp was pretty cool? Awesome, I'll transfer. Accountability has been tossed out the window. And loyalty just doesn't exist anymore.

I mean, it seems like the reasonable response from your end would simply be not to watch... It seems that @hhpatriot04 has the best idea here: sanction both 8-man and co-ops and let the "marketplace of ideas" sort it out...

My role as Direct elect of IFCA Region 4 and 16 years as Assistant Coach rep is to promote opportunities for School Communities who wish to participate in football, 11 man or 8 man. I understand anything new creates uneasy or in your case your next crusade to opin YOUR views on a situation that you have very little knowledge of clearly . Thats ok. Rensselaer has a roster of 42, we are not in the bucket that would be considered, however, If I coached at South Newton, I would have been all about it. You've really come full circle over the years here: From the boogey man of football too dangerous for our poor children to play a game meant for kids.... to bemoaning schools who go to 8 man since they do not have the numbers for classic 11 man... Wild Message Board Arc for you my man , Pure entertainment for me really

A final thought on the above post, this weekend's Cathedral-Loyola Academy game should provide us with a good idea of the relative strength of both states programs, as both are rated in similar positions in their respective states.

The Grid is dead! Where's STC...and crew, The Beagle, anyone from St Leon/Harrison? 👎🏽

Logansport (1-0) @ SB Adams (1-0) SB Riley (1-0) @ Valparaiso (0-1) FW South (1-0) @ Saint Joseph's (1-0) SB Wahington (0-1) @ Goshen (0-1) Penn (1-0) @ Mishawaka (1-0) Marian (0-1) @ Culver Academy (0-1) New Prairie (0-1) @ NorthWood (0-1) Waren Central (1-0) @ Elkhart (1-0)

Andrean at Luers Carroll at Center Grove Decatur Central at Wayne East Noble at Snider Concordia at Eastside Eastbrook Dwenger at St. Francis De Sales (Ohio) North Side at New Haven Northrop at Warsaw South Side at St. Joseph Noblesville at Homestead

Wish we could get an answer for your question. I have been a tireless advocate for a two-day event in Indy with four of our best teams against one team from each of our border states. That would give us a better idea of the strengths of all those state programs. Can you image how exciting an event featuring East St. Louis (IL), Novi (MI) Central Catholic, Massillon (OH) Washington, and Louisville (KY) Trinity against Brownsburg, Westfield, Carmel and Warren Central would be? For now, though, all we can do is speculate. As far as Lincoln-Way East is concerned, did not think that much of them in the pre-season but the one-point win over Brother Rice was impressive. Not only that, but a quick glance of their schedule looks like they could/should win the remainder of their games as it is not an overwhelming slate. In relation to how they would do against Indiana teams, Brownsburg looks a loss, Westfield and Carmel would be very tough games for them. After that, I think they could hold their own. No, I did not watch the ESL - Mt. Carmel game. Too busy watching Alabaster Thompson-Phenix City Central, Bishop Gorman-Mater Dei and few other games.