High schools in Minnesota will no longer have a problem finding at least eight opponents to play each season.
The Minnesota State High School League yesterday approved “district football,” which reorganizes teams into 18 districts across the state.
“Everyone needs to keep in mind that this is just a step in the process of developing actual schedules for our member schools,” MSHSL associate director Kevin Merkle said on John Millea’s blog. “Some districts have a wide range in size and geography, but once the districts determine their sub-district alignments, most of the enrollment and geographical issues will be solved.”
In Duluth, however, the new plan has apparently ended a natural rivalry between Duluth high schools, according to the Duluth News Tribune.
Duluth Denfield and Duluth East were put into different districts.
Instead, East will play in a conference that includes Moorhead, Bemidji, and Rogers. Denfield, a smaller school, ended up in an Iron Range-heavy district that’s loaded with geographical rivalries.
It’s not a done deal yet. The league may yet allow scheduled games between districts, although that’s part of the problem that led to the new system in the first place.
Here are the new districts:
District: 9 – West
Ada-Borup High School
Ashby H.S.
Bertha-Hewitt High School
Brandon-Evansville High School
Buffalo Lake-Hector-Stewart High School
Cass Lake-Bena High School
Clearbrook-Gonvick High School
Clinton-Graceville-Beardsley H.S.
Goodridge/Grygla-Gatzke
Hancock High School
Hillcrest Lutheran Academy
Kittson County Central
MACCRAY High School
NCE/UH Titans
Norman County West High School
Northern Freeze
Park Christian High School
Renville County West High School
Rothsay High School
Stephen-Argyle Central High School
Underwood High School
Verndale High School
Warren-Alvarado-Oslo High School
Waubun High School
Wheaton Herman Norcross
Win-E-Mac High School
District: 9 – North
Bigfork High School
Carlton High School
Cherry High School
Cook County High School
Cromwell High School
Ely High School
Floodwood High School
Hill City High School
Isle High School
Kelliher/Northome
Lake of the Woods / Indus
Littlefork-Big Falls High School
McGregor High School
Mesabi Academy School
Mountain Iron-Buhl High School
Nevis High School
North Woods High School
Northeast Range
Northland High School
Ogilvie High School
Onamia High School
Silver Bay (Wm. Kelley) High School
South Ridge H.S.
Wrenshall High School
District: 9 – South
Alden-Conger High School
Cleveland High School
Edgerton/Ellsworth
Fulda High School
GHEC/Truman
Glenville-Emmons High School
Grand Meadow High School
Hills-Beaver Creek High School
Houston High School
Lanesboro High School
LeRoy-Ostrander High School
Lyle-Pacelli
Mabel-Canton High School
Madelia High School
Mountain Lake Area
Nicollet High School
Randolph High School
Southwest Star Concept H. S.
Spring Grove H.S.
West Lutheran High School
Westbrook-Walnut Grove High School
District: Big Southeast
Austin High School
Faribault High School
Mankato East High School
Mankato West High School
New Prague High School
Northfield H.S.
Owatonna High School
Red Wing High School
Rochester Century High School
Rochester John Marshall
Rochester Mayo High School
Winona High School
District: Southeast
Byron High School
Caledonia High School
Cannon Falls High School
Chatfield High School
Cotter High School
Dover-Eyota High School
Kasson-Mantorville High School
La Crescent High School
Lake City High School
Pine Island High School
Plainview-Elgin-Millville High School
Rochester Lourdes High School
St. Charles High School
Stewartville High School
Triton High School
Zumbrota-Mazeppa High School
District: Mid Southeast
Bethlehem Academy
Blooming Prairie High School
Fillmore Central High School
Goodhue High School
Hayfield High School
Janesville-Waldorf-Pemberton H.S.
Kenyon-Wanamingo High School
Kingsland High School
Lewiston-Altura High School
Mankato Loyola
Medford High School
Rushford-Peterson High School
Southland High School
St. Clair High School
United South Central High School
Wabasha-Kellogg High School
District: South Central
Albert Lea High School
Belle Plaine H.S.
Blue Earth Area High School
Fairmont High School
G-F-W High School
Jackson County Central High School
Jordan High School
Lake Crystal-Wellcome Memorial
Lester Prairie \ Holy Trinity
LeSueur-Henderson High School
Luverne High School
Maple River High School
Marshall High School
Martin County West H.S.
Mayer Lutheran High School
New Richland-H-E-G H.S.
New Ulm High School
Norwood-Young America High School
Pipestone Area High School
Redwood Valley High School
Saint James Area
Sibley East High School
St. Peter High School
Tri-City United High School
Waseca High School
Waterville-Elysian-Morristown H.S.
Windom Area High School
Worthington High School
District: Southwest
Adrian High School
Canby High School
Cedar Mountain/Comfrey
Dawson-Boyd High School
Lac qui Parle Valley High School
Lakeview High School
Minneota
Minnesota Valley Lutheran
Murray County Central High School
New Ulm Cathedral High School
Ortonville High School
Red Rock Central High School
Russell-Tyler-Ruthton High School
Sleepy Eye High School
Sleepy Eye Saint Mary’s High School
Springfield High School
Tracy-Milroy-Balaton High School
Wabasso High School
District: East Central
Albany High School
Annandale High School
Becker High School
Dassel-Cokato High School
Delano High School
Foley High School
Glencoe-Silver Lake High School
Holy Family Catholic High School
Hutchinson High School
Litchfield High School
Little Falls High School
Milaca High School
New London-Spicer High School
St. Cloud Cathedral
Watertown-Mayer High School
Zimmerman High School
District: Mid State
Atwater-Cosmos-Grove City H.S.
B O L D High School
Belgrade-Brooten-Elrosa H.S.
Benson High School
Browerville H.S.
Eden Valley-Watkins High School
Holdingford High School
Howard Lake-Waverly-Winsted H.S.
Kerkhoven-Murdock-Sunburg H.S.
Kimball Area High School
Maple Lake High School
Melrose Area High School
Minnewaska Area H.S.
Montevideo High School
Morris Area/Chokio-Alberta
Paynesville Area High School
Pierz High School
Prairie Valley Nighthawks
Rockford High School
Royalton High School
Sauk Centre High School
Upsala/Swanville
West Central Area School
Yellow Medicine East H.S.
District: Northwest
Badger/GB-MR
Bagley High School
Blackduck High School
Climax/Fisher
Fertile-Beltrami High School
Fosston High School
Lake Park-Audubon
Mahnomen High School
New York Mills High School
Pillager High School
Pine River-Backus High School
Red Lake County Rebels
Red Lake High School
Walker-Hackensack-Akeley H.S.
District: North Central
Alexandria H.S.
Bemidji High School
Big Lake High School
Brainerd High School
Buffalo High School
Cambridge-Isanti High School
Chisago Lakes Area High School
Duluth East High School
Elk River High School
Monticello High School
Moorhead High School
North Branch High School
Princeton High School
Rocori High School
Rogers High School
Saint Cloud Tech
Sartell-Saint Stephen High School
Sauk Rapids-Rice High School
St. Cloud Apollo High School
St. Francis High School
St. Michael-Albertville H.S.
Willmar High School
District: Northeast
Aitkin High School
Barnum High School
Braham High School
Chisholm High School
Cloquet High School
Crosby-Ironton High School
Deer River High School
Duluth Denfeld High School
East Central High School
Esko High School
Eveleth-Gilbert High School
Grand Rapids High School
Greenway Naskwauk Keewatin
Hermantown High School
Hibbing H.S.
Hinckley-Finlayson High School
International Falls H.S.
Marshall School, Duluth
Mesabi East High School
Moose Lake/Willow River
Mora High School
Pine City High School
Proctor High School
Rush City High School
Two Harbors High School
Virginia High School
District: Midwest
Barnesville High School
Breckenridge High School
Crookston High School
Detroit Lakes High School
Dilworth-Glyndon-Felton H.S.
East Grand Forks High School
Fergus Falls High School
Frazee High School
Hawley High School
Long Prairie-Grey Eagle H.S.
Osakis High School
Ottertail Central Bulldogs
Park Rapids Area High School
Pelican Rapids High School
Pequot Lakes High School
Perham High School
Roseau High School
Staples-Motley High School
Thief River Falls High School
United North Central Warriors
Wadena-Deer Creek High School
Warroad High School
District: Suburban
Academy of Holy Angels
Benilde-St. Margaret’s School
Bloomington Jefferson High School
Bloomington Kennedy High School
Chanhassen High School
Chaska High School
DeLaSalle High School
Irondale High School
Orono High School
Park Center High School
Richfield High School
Robbinsdale Armstrong High School
Robbinsdale Cooper High School
Spring Lake Park High School
St. Louis Park High School
Waconia High School
District: East Metro
Apple Valley High School
Burnsville H.S.
Cretin-Derham Hall High School
Eagan High School
East Ridge High School
Eastview High School
Farmington High School
Forest Lake High School
Hastings High School
Henry Sibley High School
Hill-Murray School
Lakeville North High School
Lakeville South High School
Mahtomedi High School
Mounds View High School
North High School
Park High School
Rosemount High School
Roseville Area High School
Simley High School
South Saint Paul High School
St. Thomas Academy
Stillwater Area High School
Tartan High School
White Bear Lake Area High School
Woodbury High School
District: West Metro
Andover High School
Anoka H.S.
Blaine High School
Centennial H.S.
Champlin Park High School
Coon Rapids High School
Eden Prairie High School
Edina High School
Hopkins High School
Maple Grove High School
Minnetonka High School
Osseo
Prior Lake High School
Shakopee High School
Totino-Grace High School
Wayzata High School
District: Twin City
Blake School (The)
Breck School
Brooklyn Center High School
Columbia Heights High School
Concordia Academy-Roseville
Fridley High School
Minneapolis Edison High School
Minneapolis North Community H.S.
Minneapolis Patrick Henry H. S.
Minneapolis South High School
Minneapolis Southwest High School
Minneapolis Washburn High School
Minnehaha Academy
Mound Westonka High School
New Life Academy/St. Croix Preparatory Academy
Providence Academy
Roosevelt / MTS
Saint Paul Central
Saint Paul Harding H.S.
Spectrum High School
St. Agnes High School
St. Anthony Village High School
St. Croix Lutheran High School
St. Paul Como Park H.S.
St. Paul Highland Park
St. Paul Humboldt High School
St. Paul Johnson High School
St.Paul Academy and Summit School