Schmit: It’s time for segments of the state to accept 8-man high school football
We live in a shadeless world.
Everything’s black or white, good or bad. Haves and have-nots. No middle ground seems to exist anymore.
When it comes to high school football in Illinois, it’s either 8-man or 11-man. The difference couldn’t be more stark, and the resistance to one or the other is creating a problem.
In some rural regions of the state, it’s time to accept 8-man football as the future. Commit to it, and run with it.
The thought came to mind while visiting my wife’s old stomping grounds in central Illinois. It’s an odd mix of thriving 11-man programs like Maroa-Forsyth, a two-time state champion, and Meridian in Macon, which last season shifted to 8-man due to dwindling participation numbers.
Because of the shifts, where one area accepts the inevitable while the neighboring area clings to the unrealistic, rivalries are ending and regular-season road trips are getting ridiculously long. Some programs have resorted to suspending varsity competition in 11-man, creating even larger scheduling deserts.
While the IHSA lists 35 teams among its 8-man conferences, the Illinois 8-Man Football Association runs the postseason. Based on what’s happening throughout the state, that number should be much higher and the playoffs should feature more than the 16 teams in the 2025 8-man bracket.
Just last week, Clinton High School announced the cancellation of the rest of its 11-man varsity schedule. That left the remaining Heart of Central Illinois Large Division schools on its schedule a game short and in a lurch.
Hoopeston also canceled its varsity slate midseason, while Litchfield, Alleman and Eisenhower decided before the season they couldn’t field varsity teams. Meanwhile, schools throughout the state are still looking to fill blank spots on their schedule.
It’s time for all those programs, and so many others, to consider accepting 8-man football as their future. Time to really build it into something substantial in Illinois.
According to the National Federation of High Schools, more than a million athletes in the U.S. played 11-man football in Illinois in 2025. That’s an increase of 1.4% from the year before and the most since 2016.
It’s an encouraging sign as the sport continues to rebound from the pandemic, but it doesn’t tell the whole story.
Football is struggling in many rural areas because of dwindling populations and falling school enrollment numbers. More and more, hopefully, we’ll see these areas turn to 8-man.
Back to the Heart of Central Illinois, where in past seasons we’d see rivalry games like Central A&M against Meridian. That matchup no longer exists because one plays 11-man and the other 8-man.
Two high schools 6 miles apart with a deep need to shrink the length of bus rides no longer play each other. All because of three extra players on the field.
It’s just one example where games that should be played, aren’t. Until there’s a commitment to 8-man, we’re missing out on matchups rooted in history.
Other states throughout the Midwest have already jumped aboard the 8-man train. Players might be skittish because of perceived recruiting slights, and it’s a legitimate concern. But as 8-man grows, colleges will follow.
It’s time for sections of the state to accept the inevitable and embrace the future.
kschmit@dailyherald.com