MONROE - One of the biggest changes to come this season, as high school football teams kicked off the first day of practice on Tuesday, is the switch to a scaled back eight-game schedule.
High schools across the state have traditionally played a nine-game regular season. That will change this year after the WIAA Board of Control voted last year to have an eight-game season, to avoid an Aug. 1 start. Another proposal that was considered but not approved would have preserved the nine-game schedule but moved the state finals to Thanksgiving weekend. High school coaches for the first time will seed the playoffs this year instead of the WIAA.
"Nobody likes it," Evansville-Albany coach Ron Grovesteen said of the new eight-game schedule. "If you are a coach, you don't want to lose a game."
Many coaches opposed the Aug. 1 start because of conflicts with other summer activities, vacations and jobs. Grovesteen is starting his 39th year of coaching at Evansville.
"It's an early start for everybody," he said. "We still have some kids on vacation. It's correctable. If we put our heads together, we can get a better situation put together."
Safety was the main reason the WIAA cited, eliminating the crunch of three games in 10 days for schools that made the playoffs. Teams that don't make the playoffs will be given the option of playing a ninth game.
Regardless of the schedule change, it's business as usual for Monroe coach Curt Miller and the Cheesemakers.
"I don't have a problem with it," Miller said. "It really doesn't change what we are doing. I think the WIAA is struggling with trying to find something that worked for everyone. It eliminates the three games in 10 days. It's about kids' safety."
Illinois has had their state football games Thanksgiving weekend for a number of years, but Miller doesn't think the WIAA or the high schools would support a plan to follow Illinois' lead.
"There has been some better options out there than going into Thanksgiving week," Miller said. "I don't even think that will happen in Wisconsin. There is a much bigger picture than that. Attendance for the state finals would be significantly affected. I think attendance would be down 30 to 40 percent. It's a holiday week and deer hunting season. The reality is it's that time of year. When kids make it to the ultimate football game, you want fans to be there."
With the new eight-game regular season, when it would otherwise be time for some teams to turn in their shoulder pads, they may be weighing the benefits of playing a glorified practice game as a build-up for the next season.
Black Hawk did something similar in 2003.
The team went 0-9 and then scheduled a 10th game as a scrimmage against Weston.
"It was a springboard for us to get back to the success that we are having now," Black Hawk coach Cory Milz said. "We had a lot of younger players then and they got a chance to play."
Milz expects some schools to take advantage of the opportunity to play an extra game depending on how their regular season goes.
"If a small school has a lot of injuries, they will probably call it quits after eight," he said. "Any way you slice it, you lose a game."
High schools across the state have traditionally played a nine-game regular season. That will change this year after the WIAA Board of Control voted last year to have an eight-game season, to avoid an Aug. 1 start. Another proposal that was considered but not approved would have preserved the nine-game schedule but moved the state finals to Thanksgiving weekend. High school coaches for the first time will seed the playoffs this year instead of the WIAA.
"Nobody likes it," Evansville-Albany coach Ron Grovesteen said of the new eight-game schedule. "If you are a coach, you don't want to lose a game."
Many coaches opposed the Aug. 1 start because of conflicts with other summer activities, vacations and jobs. Grovesteen is starting his 39th year of coaching at Evansville.
"It's an early start for everybody," he said. "We still have some kids on vacation. It's correctable. If we put our heads together, we can get a better situation put together."
Safety was the main reason the WIAA cited, eliminating the crunch of three games in 10 days for schools that made the playoffs. Teams that don't make the playoffs will be given the option of playing a ninth game.
Regardless of the schedule change, it's business as usual for Monroe coach Curt Miller and the Cheesemakers.
"I don't have a problem with it," Miller said. "It really doesn't change what we are doing. I think the WIAA is struggling with trying to find something that worked for everyone. It eliminates the three games in 10 days. It's about kids' safety."
Illinois has had their state football games Thanksgiving weekend for a number of years, but Miller doesn't think the WIAA or the high schools would support a plan to follow Illinois' lead.
"There has been some better options out there than going into Thanksgiving week," Miller said. "I don't even think that will happen in Wisconsin. There is a much bigger picture than that. Attendance for the state finals would be significantly affected. I think attendance would be down 30 to 40 percent. It's a holiday week and deer hunting season. The reality is it's that time of year. When kids make it to the ultimate football game, you want fans to be there."
With the new eight-game regular season, when it would otherwise be time for some teams to turn in their shoulder pads, they may be weighing the benefits of playing a glorified practice game as a build-up for the next season.
Black Hawk did something similar in 2003.
The team went 0-9 and then scheduled a 10th game as a scrimmage against Weston.
"It was a springboard for us to get back to the success that we are having now," Black Hawk coach Cory Milz said. "We had a lot of younger players then and they got a chance to play."
Milz expects some schools to take advantage of the opportunity to play an extra game depending on how their regular season goes.
"If a small school has a lot of injuries, they will probably call it quits after eight," he said. "Any way you slice it, you lose a game."
