8 man Football

[EasternDspy]

Is it time for Ohsaa to adopt an 8 man football Div like Texas? Seems like numbers are way down. I think any small school D6 of D7 without least 20 players should be given an opportunity to play 8 man ball and compete for state titles.

[247sports]

Great idea! It would be interesting to know how many teams that would include. In WV teams have to travel 2 hours at times to play opponents of similar size, it may have to come to that in OH as well if this would be an option.

[formerfcfan]

The point of having 8-man sanctioned isn’t a fresh opportunity to win a nominal state title. The point would be to avert disaster games like Belpre v. Warren from happening and keep dying programs such as Federal Hocking from completely going away.

[EasternDspy]

Why not sanction it? Texas does it and it’s growing big time.

[formerfcfan]

Why not sanction it? Texas does it and it’s growing big time.

Sanctioning it is beside the point. The schools who want to play 8-man want to because they’re out of options. It’s a last resort. The schools who want to play 8-man in this part of the state basically cannot because it requires matchmaking that is at direct odds with conference membership obligations.

[formerfcfan]

The most direct path to 8-man taking off in SEO would be the conferences letting teams pull out in the spring from mandated scheduling. That’s not going to happen anytime soon. Instead, we’re just going to see more and more of the same struggle because outdated conference concepts and scheduling butt-whippings in the non-league for gate revenue purposes are two things that administrators will never sacrifice.

[RiverBallFan1]

8 man football will never catch on in Ohio. Too bad because programs that are being left behind because open registration or low numbers could benefit from 8 man, but players will just transfer instead of playing 8 man.

[Pol pot]

8 man is growing in NW Ohio.

[Football Historian]

I have watched a few 8 man games in Oklahoma. The small towns across the state love it. 8 man thrives from Texas to Montana.

[Play60Football]

8 Man football will eventually be sanctioned in Ohio but who knows how long it will actually take. a few years ago the OHSAA did a dive into gathering information on it and ask schools for logistics and opinions. Whats going to need to happen is the OHSAA Sanction it and create "D8", create a State Title for it... Iowa plays theirs on a Thursday, Ohio can obviously do the same and play it at Benson. Once there's a Playoff and Title attached I think you'll see teams jump to it, it'll be a better selling point to Admin, Coaches, and kids.... A light at the end of the tunnel so to speak and not just a way to "survive. Other states use an enrollment limit like Michigan at 100-115 or something like that. If you have 115 or below you can play 8 Man, you don't HAVE to.... If you're over 115 you cannot. And with projecting enrollments you can adjust yourself. A lot of times (In other states) once a school commits to it and sees the competitive benefit of it they stick to it. One of the issues in Ohio would be getting teams in your respective region. Like stated before NW Ohio has gotten it started and its thriving honestly. SW-SE-NE would need 4-5 to start (and I think you'd get that number quickly) and it'll take off from there.... Club Teams and schools who want to start out might see a benefit.

[formerfcfan]

One of the issues in Ohio would be getting teams in your respective region. Like stated before NW Ohio has gotten it started and its thriving honestly. SW-SE-NE would need 4-5 to start (and I think you'd get that number quickly) and it'll take off from there.... Club Teams and schools who want to start out might see a benefit.

This is the primary problem and, again, you have currently-existing leagues in SE and Eastern Ohio that stand in the way of 8-man taking off. The most relevant example to this area is the TVC-Hocking — it wouldn’t make sense for Trimble and Waterford to do it, and maybe not Eastern and Southern, but members like Belpre and Federal Hocking would be prime candidates for 8-man… except they’re sucked into playing Trimble and Waterford. If they were freed from TVC scheduling, those two would be good pairing partners with the likes of Manchester, Bridgeport and Beallsville for 8-man. South Gallia and Miller might’ve also been good candidates for 8-man, too, but they’re landing in more realistic conference situations for football purposes.

I think you'll see teams jump to it, it'll be a better selling point to Admin, Coaches, and kids.... A light at the end of the tunnel so to speak and not just a way to "survive. Other states use an enrollment limit like Michigan at 100-115 or something like that. If you have 115 or below you can play 8 Man, you don't HAVE to.... If you're over 115 you cannot. And with projecting enrollments you can adjust yourself. A lot of times (In other states) once a school commits to it and sees the competitive benefit of it they stick to it.

The dilemma becomes “who is actually interested in transitioning to 8-man.” 4-5 years ago it was widely believed the smaller private schools would have lead the line for growing the 8-man game by now, but that didn’t happen and now it’s looking even more unlikely that bloc will consider 8-man because the winds of change blew the other direction with their programs in better shape now (and for the foreseeable future.) Not to mention between the growing storm of school choice initiatives, a la EdChoice, and the belief that you can stand to lose players to 11-man programs if you go 8-man, those guys are out of the picture. So it’s most likely going to have to be the small publics with thread-barren resources joining forces.

[LICKING COUNTY FAN]

It is way past time for 8-man or Co-Op.