Does HS Football start too early?

I agree.

We start July 30 in NC. I dont know why they dont push everything back two weeks. All we hear about is player safety and yet we have to practice in 90 plus degree heat. We finished practice yesterday and the temp was near 100.

We start doubles on Monday, so the first of August. We play our first game on the 26th.

Personally I think that's too early for the start of practice. Three weeks of preseason practice is too much. Ohio used to mandate the first week in August as a "dead week" where you couldn't have anything mandatory for kids (camp days, etc). It was a nice little breather before things got rolling.

Short answer, nothing.

Whole calendar is based on Thanksgiving - Lions play that day so Ford Field is available Friday-Saturday for championship games.

There are five weeks of playoffs (including finals). Teams must have 14 days of practice before first game.

Only thing that could shorten season would be cutting back on playoffs and that's not going to happen - MHSAA makes nice chunk of change on each round. And apparently our Football Coaches' Association not in favor either. They were ones that pushed for expansion in 1999.

I assume you're in Kentucky or Indiana.

At least hoops practice doesn't start until mid-November here.

Now coaches trying to get kids to "open gyms" or "workouts" different story.

In Mississippi, Private schools started on July 25th with two-a-days! Public schools start tomorrow! First game is scheduled for August 19th! I absolutely think we start too early! Our season is way too long anyway; 11 games with an open date in there!! We get all these lectures about the heat and etc. , but they don't want to even discuss the idea of moving the season back because it messes with basketball season! If safety of the kids is the number one goal, then exhaust every avenue to make it happen!! Sadly, when it all comes down to it, making money is the main goal!

When do you start school? I'm only 27 but I remember starting school later than we do know, closer to Labor Day but some schools are starting Tuesday around here. I'm pretty sure we had 2 weeks of practice (2 a days) before school started, one week while in school then our first game so by that theory our school is right on track, we start 2 a days tomorrow and have our first game on the 19th. The answer may be in how early school is started now as well as how long playoffs are but to answer the question, yes it is earlier but I'm not sure it is too early. Would be interested to know how many weeks of practice you had before the first game then compared to now.

I thought it was only 3 days of no contact but you would know better than me (maybe 3 with no pads, 2 getting used to pads?). If you pushed it back 2 weeks would you have to push the other sports back? Realistically, very few teams run deep into basketball season and not so much down here but when I went to school in Ohio (so I'm assuming the same for Michigan) you would get baseball and other spring sports events canceled or rescheduled anyway because of the weather. The only concern with that would be if the end of spring sports then went into summer.

I am a big fan of 3 weeks of practice pre-first game especially when you factor in the no contact days, so 2 weeks to put your system in and 1 "gameday" week but maybe that's because that's what I've always experienced.

In Michigan, if you get to Championship game, season has been 17 weeks (1st day of practice until last game).

Even without summer stuff, that seems a lot for HS kids.

Only eight teams-players-coaches finish season happy out of about 620 - everyone else lost last game or didn't make playoffs.

Not to mention "fans" and their opinion of coaches.

Football here in Norcal is pretty much year round... everyone starts off season weights as soon as the season ends.

We have 2 weeks pf spring ball here , mid may-end of may

and in NCS (North Coast Section) there are no rules for practicing, we practice 4 days a week in full gear... but you could practice 10 times a day everyday if you wanted to

No rules until the "official start date"
This year that date is August 15th... nothing can be mandatory until then ... but everyone knows it is really mandatory... Do I think it is too much?

Yes.

Is it going to get any better?
No, it will only get worse. We get so much practice time and yet teams still cheat... local schools often start spring practice weeks ahead of time... technically no football drills can be done until spring ball starts , it is only supposed to be lifting/running... but this is hard to enforce.

I have even seen some teams recently get AAU football membership for their athletes so they can get away with practicing year round

9 consecutive days of inservice? 9 7-hour days of inservices??
What is the suicide rate in your district?

NICE!!

I have a couple of buddies startin today. we start wednesday.
My problem with this sate (well, one of em. I dont got the time to list everything) is that it goes on too late. Especially for a state without a real state championship. section championships are december 10th or so and the "state chapionship" games are played the weekend before christmas...
everyone makes playoffs, it becomes way too long, and at the end you still have the never ending debate of which teams got snubbed.
And at a small school like the one im at the sports for next season gets screwed. basketball is missing most of their team until christmas time. Then track gets screwed from basketball playoffs. its a mess.

So i'd way rather have the system like cqmiller does in Utah. He'll be able to come see my teams 1st playoff game this yr after the Utah State champioships have been played! haha

I used to think you guys were lunatics with your crazy long seasons. It's nice to see that most of you have taken the first step.

In Ontario when I played not so long ago, You started the 2nd day of school, so 2 days after Labour Day, and the entire season lasted 10 weeks. It was just short enough to leave you wanting more, without impinging on every other sport out there.