First, let’s be clear. Football in America isn’t going anywhere anytime soon. It has over 75 years of brand awareness, and – in its formative years – developed a regional system that created regional rivals and loyal fan bases. The National Football League’s International Series will stage nine games this year in seven countries.

With the advent of media, gambling and year-round football-related activities, the game has found a way to keep fans engaged all the time. Fall dominates, though, in high school stadiums on Friday nights, Saturday afternoons on college campuses, and at least three days a week in the NFL, which reported overall revenue of over $23 billion in 2024.

It is notable, then, when the system sneezes, even gently. At least six Michigan high schools have canceled their varsity seasons, citing low participation and safety concerns.

Athens canceled its varsity football season in August. At this writing, Beaverton announced the cancellation of its varsity football season. Cheboygan canceled its season after injuries decimated its roster to 13 players. Two-way players are feted like heroes, but in this case playing on offense and defense is unsustainable. White Pigeon, struggling with low numbers, has moved the remainder of its varsity season to a junior varsity schedule. Gull Lake canceled its varsity season after players raised concerns that include safety and low participation, against the backdrop of a police investigation into alleged assaults involving players at a football camp this summer.

These are different circumstances and should not be lumped together, but collectively they raise a question about the future of Friday night football.

At least two dozen high school varsity football teams around the country have canceled all or significant portions of their seasons, according to a review of news reports, which school officials repeatedly citing some combination of shrinking rosters, injuries and player safety. Notable, but not catastrophic.

More than 1 million boys played 11-player high school football last year, the highest participation in nearly a decade, according to the National Association of State High School Associations. Michigan ranks sixth in the nation in boys football participation, according to the Michigan High School Athletic Association.

Yet parents know more today about concussions, repetitive head injuries and other injuries than parents did a generation ago. Kids have more athletic choices. Soccer, basketball, lacrosse, volleyball and other sports compete for the same young athletes.

But by its very nature, football needs armies of players for 22 starting spots and backups for fatigue, injuries and continuous improvement.

Cheboygan’s 13-player roster brutally illustrates this. And in smaller communities, where Friday night football is a way of life, canceling varsity football is not uneventful. There are ways communities can mitigate similar situations in the future.

More schools could consolidate programs. Develop eight-player football leagues. Play flag football, something the NFL seems to be encouraging, along with better equipment and tackling instruction. But above all, football needs bodies — lots of them.

It is probably too early to view this as a “canary in the coal mine” situation, but it could be a harbinger that the future America’s richest and most popular sport won’t ultimately be determined in college or NFL boardrooms.

It may be determined around kitchen tables, where parents and kids conclude that playing high school football under Friday night lights is not worth the risk.

Byron McCauley is a regional columnist at USA Today Co. Email bmccauley@usatodayco.com. Call 517-267-1307. Follow him @byronmccauley on X (formerly Twitter).

This article originally appeared on The Holland Sentinel: Michigan varsity football cancellations raise hard questions | Opinion

Reporting by Byron McCauley, Holland Sentinel / The Holland Sentinel

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