Minnesota High School League Revamps Football

MSHSL Changes Football Scheduling In 2015

The Minnesota State High School League Board of Directors Thursday voted 19-1 to group teams in pods or districts for football scheduling in 2015.  The plan would group at least 16 teams whenever possible based on geography and enrollment.  League officials revealed a survey of school authorities that found 41 percent of schools reporting difficulty in scheduling 8 regular season games in the past 10 years.  Most of the discussion had surrounded the biggest metro schools of Wayzata, Eden Prairie, Hopkins, Minnetonka and Edina, but several outstate activities directors told the board they wanted to see changes also.  Albert Lea and Waterville-Elysian-Morristown AD's were among those to address the meeting, endorsing a different scheduling system.  League Associate Director and former Northfield Athletic Director Kevin Merkle oversees football and says enrollment data from the State Board of Education will be received in February and he hopes to complete school placement by April 1. The Board also approved changes to the 2015 football schedule so the Prep Bowl can be played earlier and teams can still get in 8 regular season games and a full slate of playoff contests.  Practices will begin August 10 and the first games played August 22.

The MSHSL Directors also voted to expand softball to four classes beginning in 2016.