Eight Iowa high schools will not field varsity football teams this season as schools continue to face challenges with player participation and concerns about athlete safety.
The Iowa High School Athletic Association lists Davis County, Central Decatur, New London, Exira-EHK, Mormon Trail, Rockford and Siouxland Christian among the schools not offering varsity football. The IHSAA’s current list also includes Lone Tree, bringing the total to eight schools.
For several of the schools, the decision came after officials determined that roster numbers were too low to safely compete at the varsity level. Some programs are instead looking at junior varsity schedules or cooperative arrangements to keep football available for students.
Davis County, which competes in Class 2A, announced it would move to a junior varsity-only schedule after citing low participation and player safety concerns. Exira-EHK also plans to continue its program at the junior varsity level for the 2026 season.
The cancellations also affect schools that had already been scheduled to play these teams. The IHSAA has worked to arrange replacement games and scrimmages for schools that lost opponents because of canceled seasons or forfeits.
Rockford’s football program has been especially affected by the participation issue. The school canceled its 2025 varsity season before playing a game and will not field a varsity team again in 2026.
Siouxland Christian also canceled its varsity season, while the school has pursued a partnership with Remsen St. Mary’s to keep football opportunities available.
The situation highlights a growing challenge for smaller Iowa schools: maintaining varsity football programs when participation numbers fall to levels that make it difficult to field a competitive and safe team.
