Are numbers issues threatening more and more Indiana high school football programs?

[wabashalwaysfights]

1 hour ago, Coach Nowlin said:

I have no issues with Co Op as an idea to get participation, but how to do it is the ultimate quagmire for me personally.    I think state leaders and myself included from my personal belief, before CO OPs, schools should adopt 8 man.    Not sure why INDIANA FB programs right now has some angst against it.  Especially when there is a path to go from 8 to 11 when numbers improve.  It's a change yes, but if the goal is to play a game of tackle football then 8 man is an OUTSTANDING choice for programs who are in this boat of this conversation .   8 man has over 1000 HS teams over 30 states.     

I can understand and agree on 8 man football.  I am not an admin (nor do I ever care to be) but if I had a guess as to why the resistance to 8 man it would be two things: 1) travel, as @Muda69 points out.  Honestly, that is no illegitimate concern given the price of fuel. 2) I think maybe the best word would be maybe "stigma" or maybe "lack of understanding," and not even on the part of admin themselves but also the community. 

There's no easy solution to be sure.

[Coach Nowlin]

Stigma > gas / travel.    IMO.  

South Newton informed their teams they are going 8 man football this year.    Frontier and Benton Central have just announced looking for games for weeks 3 and 8.  

 

[Muda69]

14 minutes ago, Coach Nowlin said:

Stigma > gas / travel.    IMO.  

South Newton informed their teams they are going 8 man football this year.    Frontier and Benton Central have just announced looking for games for weeks 3 and 8.  

 

A North Newton/South Newton co-op would have been the logical answer here.

[wabashalwaysfights]

3 hours ago, Coach Nowlin said:

Stigma > gas / travel.    IMO.  

South Newton informed their teams they are going 8 man football this year.    Frontier and Benton Central have just announced looking for games for weeks 3 and 8.  

 

I agree, but the later is great cover for the former.

I figured based on what I had seen throughout the day. Its too bad, but I am really glad they aren't folding.

[Zardoz]

My suggestion would be that if a school that withdraws from a full varsity schedule in 11 man after moratorium week, they would go to 8 man until they can show a consistent participation for a predetermined years (2 or 3) and number of players (say 25) before being allowed back into 11 man.

[JustRules]

12 hours ago, oldtimeqb said:

A hill I would fight on - Girls Flag should have been a SPRING sport. That is all. 

College flag is a Spring sport as are many states doing HS flag. It could evolve as recruiting grows and Indiana girls are overlooked because they are playing outside the normal recruiting window.