Survey: 4A majority favors consideration of district football

District football for Class 4A football teams is now a distinct possibility, if not a likelihood.

Todd Tharp, assistant director of the Iowa High School Athletic Association, said Thursday that 4A schools voted 25-22 to "explore possible options" in changing the way playoff teams are determined.

"It's just a survey," Tharp said. "I know a lot of people feel that (district football) is a done deal and that it's being pushed down people's throats. That's not necessarily the case."

Tharp said he was not at liberty to divulge who votes how. When Tharp met with Mississippi Valley Conference athletics directors Sept. 15, all of the ADs from the Metro and Iowa City said they would vote against district football.

The IHSAA Board of Directors took no action on the subject, but did appoint two of its members (Cedar Rapids Xavier principal Tom Keating and Johnston AD Gary Ross) to lead a sub-committee that will collect more input on schools.

"We're going to bring in (officials from) all 47 (4A football) schools to our office to meet, discuss and share any concerns they have," Tharp said.

Tharp said Thursday that a decision will probably be made in December.

If district football happens, Class 4A would probably consist of 43 schools (North Scott, Xavier, Davenport Assumption and Dubuque Wahlert would move to 3A) in 2012, and there would be eight districts of five or six schools each. Ankeny Centennial would join the 4A mix in 2013.

Districts would be released in January, schools would have a two-week period in which to communicate with each other, and ADs would submit a top-five list of non-district teams they want to play.

Should 4A switch to district play in football?