Indiana’s New High School Football Co-Op Proposal Could Be a Gridiron Game-Changer

Big changes could be coming to high school football in Indiana, and if you have ties to a smaller school in the Tri-State area, this is worth keeping an eye on.

The Indiana High School Athletic Association (IHSAA) is looking into a new proposal that could allow smaller schools to essentially team up for football. It’s called a “co-op agreement,” and it’s meant to give struggling programs a chance to be more competitive. The idea is to help smaller schools facing issues like low player turnout, high staff turnover, outdated facilities, and just general lack of interest from fans and alumni.

How Would Indiana High Schools Co-Op a Football Team?

Here’s how it could work: two schools could join forces and field a single football team - sort of like a combined effort to make something good out of what each school might be lacking on its own. There are three ways it could play out:

• Two schools that already have football programs could merge them.
• Two schools that don’t offer football could start a joint team.
• One school with football could pair up with one (or more) schools that don’t.

ALSO READ: Step Back to 1970 for a Retro Look at HS Football in Evansville, IN [Gallery]

Co-op teams could form if schools can show a legit need - like not having enough players or coaches, or a field to play on. But there are limits: each school must have under 300 students, and the total combined enrollment of the co-op team can’t be more than 750. If the numbers don’t work out, the IHSAA won’t approve it.

Get our free mobile app

It’s worth noting that several other Midwestern states already offer these types of co-op programs, and if it helps keep football alive at some of Indiana’s smallest schools, it could be a game-changer. The earliest we could see a co-op football team in Indiana would be Fall 2026.