IHSAA announces District football changes

Following the March 18 regular meeting of the Iowa High School Athletic Association Board of Control, district and group assignments for the 2021 and 2022 football seasons are now available.

The 2021 football season will be the first with a new seventh classification (Class 5A), approved in January by the Board of Control to reduce the disparity in enrollment in the IHSAA’s largest class of football, and to increase the number of participating teams and student-athletes in the postseason across all classes. Following the one-year assignments in 2020, districts and Class 5A groups are effective for a two-year cycle.

Class 5A’s group and success model format is based on information outlined in February 2020, before COVID-19 related changes were made in July to the IHSAA’s football scheduling and postseason.

Under the new assignments, Clear Lake remains in Class 2A.  It is joined in District 3 by Crestwood (Cresco), Forest City, Garner-Hayfield-Ventura, New Hampton and Osage.

Week 1 of the 2021 football season is scheduled to begin Thursday, Aug. 26.  Teams in 2A, 1A, A, and 8P will be permitted to play a ninth regular season contest should they not qualify for the postseason.

Schedules for the 2021-22 seasons will be released in April.

Class 2A

•Teams: 48

•Districts: 8

•Teams Per District: 6

•Playoff Qualifiers: 32

•Automatic Qualifiers: 32, top four per district

•At-Large Berths: 0, no RPI

•Regular Season Games (Per Team): 8

•District Games (Per Team): 5

•Non-District Games (Per Team): 3

•Class 2A teams:

Albia, Anamosa, Camanche,

Centerville, Central Lee Donnellson, Central Lyon/George-Little Rock Chariton, Cherokee - Washington, Clarinda Clarion-Goldfield-Dows,Clarke - Osceola,

Clear Lake, Crestwood - Cresco, Davis County -  Bloomfield, Des Moines Christian, Eddyville-Blakesburg-Fremont, Estherville Lincoln Central, Forest City, Garner-Hayfield-Ventura, Greene County, Iowa Falls- Alden, Jesup, Mid-Prairie, Wellman, Monticello , New Hampton, North Fayette Valley Northeast, OABCIG

Oelwein, Okoboji- Milford,

Osage, PCM, Monroe, Pocahontas Area, Red Oak

Roland-Story - Story City, Sheldon, Shenandoah, Southeast Valley, Gowrie Spirit Lake, Tipton, Union - LaPorte City, Unity Christian, Orange City Wahlert, Dubuque, Waukon, West Liberty, West Lyon - Inwood, West Marshall, State Center Williamsburg.