Iowa high school football: 6 questions and answers about the 2021 season

From an extra class to the playoffs, here’s a quick guide to the 2021 Iowa high school football season.

There are really 7 classes this season?

Yep, that’s true. There is an 8-Player class and six classes of 11-player football. It’s all based on enrollment, as usual.

The top 36 schools in enrollment are in Class 5A, the next 36 in 4A, the next 36 in 3A, the next 48 in 2A, the next 48 in 1A and the remaining 56 in Class A. There are 72 schools this season playing 8-Player.

Schools must have an enrollment of 120 or less to be eligible to play 8-Player, though they still can play the 11-player game if they desires. One exception here according to the Iowa High School Athletic Association: “An 8-player football school whose enrollment was 120 or less during the previous classification system, and whose enrollment increases above 120 for the current classification system, will be permitted 8-player football status for next redistricting cycle of two years.”

How many games will each school play?

Depends on your class.

All Class 5A, 4A and 3A schools will play nine regular-season games.

Schools in the other classes will play eight regular-season games. However, those which do not qualify for the playoffs can schedule a ninth regular-season game against a fellow non-qualifying school.

How were schedules determined?

It’s a bit complicated.

Let’s start with Class 5A. Schools were placed by the IHSAA into six groups of six. The schools in each group will play four games amongst each other, then one “assigned” game against an out-of-group school similar to it, according to the IHSAA’s success model. The other four games were determined mostly by “wish lists” each school sent the IHSAA.

Here’s an example. Cedar Rapids Kennedy is in a 5A group with Cedar Falls, Dubuque Senior, Dubuque Hempstead, Muscatine and Davenport West. The Cougars will play Cedar Falls, Senior, West and Hempstead. Their “assigned” game is against Johnston. Kennedy’s other four games include rivalry games against Cedar Rapids Washington and Cedar Rapids Jefferson. The other two are against Iowa City West and Bettendorf.

In Class 4A and 3A, there are six districts of six teams each, with a round-robin schedule for them. The four non-district games are again set up by the IHSAA using mostly “wish lists.”

In Class 2A and 1A, there are eight districts of six teams. In Class A, there are eight districts of seven schools each. There are 10 districts in 8-Player, with eight districts of seven schools and two with eight. Round-robin play exists in all of the districts, with the number of non-district games determined by how many district games each school plays.

Did you understand all of that?

Does everyone get into the playoffs?

No, but the majority will qualify. Again, this depends on the class. It’s 16 postseason qualifiers apiece in Class 5A, 4A and 3A. In the other four classes, it’s 32 each.

In 5A, all 16 playoff teams will be determined by the IHSAA’s RPI system.

In 4A and 3A, it’s the top two teams in each district and four at-large teams determined by RPI.

In 2A, 1A and A, it’s the top four teams in each district.

In 8-Player, it’s the top three teams in each district and two at-large teams.

The first round of the playoffs for the smallest four classes begins Oct. 22. In Class 3A, 4A and 5A, it’s Oct. 29.

So what classes are the Metro and Iowa City schools in?

They’re scattered.

Cedar Rapids Prairie, Cedar Rapids Jefferson, Cedar Rapids Prairie, Linn-Mar, Iowa City High and Iowa City West are in Class 5A.

Cedar Rapids Washington drops to Class 4A and joins Iowa City Liberty, Cedar Rapids Xavier and Marion.

Iowa City Regina goes from Class A to Class 1A.

Are there COVID-19 protocols for everyone, as there were last season?

Individuals, whether they are players or coaches, who are vaccinated fully do not have to quarantine if they are exposed to someone who tests positive for COVID. Players or coaches who are not vaccinated and are exposed must go through a 10-day quarantine. Obviously, that could mean postponements of games if teams experience a large enough amount of quarantines at one time.

The IHSAA said it will continue to work with the Iowa Department of Education and the Iowa Department of Public Health throughout the season and may employ some of the protocols used in 2020.

Many programs continue to administer their own safeguards, such as minimizing direct player contact, extra sanitization and using water bottles or having kids bring their own jugs of water. All teams will be required to wear masks on buses to and from games.

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