Football Football Declaration List (Updated 10/15)

[Alum-Ni]

The list of schools that have declared for 11-man, 8-man or 6-man for the next two-year cycle (2026 & 2027)

11-Man (83)
Adams Central
Alliance
Arlington
Ashland-Greenwood
Battle Creek
Beatrice
Bellevue East
Bellevue West
Blair
Boys Town
Bridgeport
Broken Bow
Central City
Columbus
Columbus Lakeview
Columbus Scotus
Cozad
Doniphan-Trumbull
Douglas County West
Elkhorn
Elkhorn North
Elkhorn South
Fremont
Gothenburg
Grand Island
Grand Island Central Catholic
Grand Island Northwest
Gretna
Gretna East
Hartington Cedar Catholic
Hastings
Holdrege
Kearney
Kearney Catholic
Lexington
Lincoln Christian
Lincoln East
Lincoln Lutheran
Lincoln North Star
Lincoln Northeast
Lincoln Northwest (opt up to A)
Lincoln Pius X
Lincoln Southeast
Lincoln Southwest
Lincoln Standing Bear (opt up to A)
Logan View/Scribner-Snyder
Louisville
Malcolm
McCook
Milford
Millard North
Millard South
Millard West
Minden
Mitchell
Nebraska City (Opt C1)
Norfolk
Norfolk Catholic
Norris
North Bend
O'Neill
Omaha Bryan
Omaha Buena Vista
Omaha Burke
Omaha Concordia
Omaha Creighton Prep
Omaha Gross
Omaha Skutt
Omaha Westside
Ord
Papillion-LaVista South
Plattsmouth
Ralston
Scottsbluff
Seward
Sidney
South Sioux City
St. Paul
Syracuse
Valentine
Wahoo
Waverly
York

8-Man (81)
Ainsworth
Alma
Anselmo-Merna
Arapahoe
Axtell
Bancroft-Rosalie
Bayard
Boyd County
Bruning-Davenport/Shickley
Cambridge
Cedar Bluffs
Central Valley
Centura
Chambers/Wheeler Central
Clarkson/Leigh
Conestoga
Creighton
Crofton
David City
Deshler
Dundy County-Stratton
East Butler
Elgin/Elgin Pope John
Elkhorn Valley
Elm Creek
Elmwood-Murdock
Exeter-Milligan/Friend
Franklin
Fullerton
Guardian Angels Central Catholic
Hartington-Newcastle
Hemingford
Hi-Line
Hitchcock County
Homer
Howells-Dodge
Humphrey/Lindsay Academy
Johnson-Brock
Kenesaw
Kimball
Laurel-Concord-Coleridge
Lawrence-Nelson
Loomis
Lutheran High Northeast
Lyons-Decatur Northeast
Maxwell
Maywood/Hayes Center
Nebraska Chrisitan
Nebraska City Lourdes
Neligh-Oakdale
Niobrara/Verdigre
North Central
North Platte St. Patrick's
O'Neill St. Mary's
Oakland-Craig
Osceola
Overton
Palmer
Pender
Perkins County
Pleasanton
Randolph
Ravenna
Riverside/Spalding Academy
Sandhills/Thedford
Shelby/Rising City
Southern
Southern Valley
Stanton
Sutherland
Sutton
Tekamah-Herman
Thayer Central
Tri County
Tri County Northeast
Twin Loup
Twin River
Wausa
Weeping Water
Winside (Opt D3)
Wynot

6-Man (22)
Ansley/Litchfield
Arthur County
Banner County
Cody-Kilgore
Diller-Odell
Dorchester
Elba
Garden County
Grand Island Lutheran
Hay Springs
Lewiston
Leyton
McCool Junction
Meridian
Minatare
Parkview Christian
Pawnee City
Paxton
Potter-Dix
Silver Lake
South Platte
Sumner-Eddyville-Miller

Non-NSAA (1)
Winnebago

 

[LooseCannon]

The percentage Wynot has for getting boys out to play football has to be the highest in the state per boy count. Their 9-11 enrollment number at midcycle was 25. I hope they have 18-20 out for football so they can safely play.

 

[Alum-Ni]

Updates as of July 17 and added above

11-Man
Beatrice
Kearney Catholic
North Bend

8-Man
Hi-Line
Maywood/Hayes Center
Winside

 

[GrizzzlyPanda]

The percentage Wynot has for getting boys out to play football has to be the highest in the state per boy count. Their 9-11 enrollment number at midcycle was 25. I hope they have 18-20 out for football so they can safely play.

They had 29 out last year and 25 out the year before. I think they will be fine.

 

[LooseCannon]

They had 29 out last year and 25 out the year before. I think they will be fine.

Oh I figured as much. It’s just awesome they get such a high percentage of boys out for football.

 

[SpaghettiSlayer]

Oh I figured as much. It’s just awesome they get such a high percentage of boys out for football.

And they have played very well in the last 5 years too!

 

[Rolling Hills Rebel]

Wynot has had some great success with their youth tackle teams the last few years also. Turns out great coaching and culture at the high school level has a trickle down effect.

 

[Alum-Ni]

Some scheduling news:

'We know it's broken': NSAA no closer to resolving Class A football scheduling problem

Nebraska high school football has a scheduling problem with Class A football, but after Thursday's NSAA meeting, the issue is no closer to being solved.

omaha.com

Two plans for Class A scheduling models seem to have failed after a meeting of Class A athletic directors recently.

One plan would keep district qualification but two districts would be for "emerging" (perennially struggling) teams. Those teams would not be scheduled against the perennial powers and their district champions would have a play-in game for the No. 16 seed in the 16-team playoffs.

The other plan would scrap districts entirely, created schedules that match like teams against one another and expand the playoffs to 32 teams by shortening the regular season from nine games to eight games.

The plans have come about to address the widening gap in competitiveness in Class A. In 2024, 66 of the 139 in-state games in the regular season (47.5%) ended with a running clock.

Any scheduling format changes would need to be approved by September in order to fit into the timeline for the next two-year cycle. Class A is expected to grow from 32 to 36 (35 teams if South Sioux City's enrollment drops below 850) teams in that next cycle with Bennington, Elkhorn North, Lincoln Northwest and Lincoln Standing Bear all expected to move up.

Omaha Bryan representatives have said unless there's a scheduling change, 10 to 12 Class A schools are considering forming their own football division.

=================================

High school notes: Fremont's new football stadium, Class B football scheduling model

Multiple teams will move their home games to Fremont's new Dillon Stadium, which becomes one of the largest preps stadiums outside the Omaha Metro.

omaha.com

And Class B is also talking about equity in football scheduling. There is talk of a scheduling model in that class that would have East, Central and West districts plus one district for "emerging teams" that have been struggling.

 

[Alum-Ni]

Updated the above list on August 8 with the following new declarations:

11-Man
Bellevue West
Broken Bow
Cozad
Elkhorn
Elkhorn North
Grand Island Northwest
Lincoln North Star
Lincoln Southeast
Milford
O'Neill
Seward

8-Man
Humboldt-Table Rock-Steinauer
Kenesaw
Kimball
Lyons-Decatur Northeast
Overton
Southern
Twin Loup

6-Man
Minatare

 

[Alum-Ni]

Updated the above original list on August 14 with the following additions:

11-Man
Boys Town
Columbus
Columbus Scotus
Hastings
Lincoln Northwest (opting up to Class A)
McCook
Plattsmouth
Sidney

8-Man
Cedar Bluffs
Chambers/Wheeler Central
North Central
Oakland-Craig
Randolph
Ravenna
Southern Valley
Thayer Central

6-Man
Garden County

 

[C8manfball]

Does anyone have a solid guess on the anticipated enrollment cut-off numbers will be for 8-man D2 and D3 at the top end? My number feels really high...

 

[TwinsRRUs]

Does anyone have a solid guess on the anticipated enrollment cut-off numbers will be for 8-man D2 and D3 at the top end? My number feels really high...

Based on this year's mid-cycle enrollment and current D2 8-man teams with below 27 enrollment still playing 8-man, D2 top end might be 46 or 47 and D3 top end around 36 or 37?

I was thinking when I looked at this before that I came up with the D2 cut-off around 47 or 48 and D3 cut-off around 39.

I do wonder how many years it will take for some teams in the 48-55 range to drop from 11-man down to 8-man. I could see many wanting to stay at 11-man, which could really mess with the number splits.

 

[just_average32]

Based on this year's mid-cycle enrollment and current D2 8-man teams with below 27 enrollment still playing 8-man, D2 top end might be 46 or 47 and D3 top end around 36 or 37?

I was thinking when I looked at this before that I came up with the D2 cut-off around 47 or 48 and D3 cut-off around 39.

I do wonder how many years it will take for some teams in the 48-55 range to drop from 11-man down to 8-man. I could see many wanting to stay at 11-man, which could really mess with the number splits.

I’d be willing to bet that the majority that are eligible under the new 55 number will go 8man.

 

[LooseCannon]

I’d be willing to bet that the majority that are eligible under the new 55 number will go 8man.

Ones that I don’t think will go down to 8 man even though they’ll be under 55. (Using mid cycle numbers

-Cedar Catholic
-Norfolk Catholic
-Yutan
-Bergan Catholic
-Aquinas Catholic

 

[just_average32]

Ones that I don’t think will go down to 8 man even though they’ll be under 55. (Using mid cycle numbers

-Cedar Catholic
-Norfolk Catholic
-Yutan
-Bergan Catholic
-Aquinas Catholic

When numbers get pulled this fall I think Aquinas will be the only one of those under. Yutan might be close. From what I have heard, there’s a good chance Aquinas goes down to 8man

 

[LooseCannon]

When numbers get pulled this fall I think Aquinas will be the only one of those under. Yutan might be close. From what I have heard, there’s a good chance Aquinas goes down to 8man

Agreed. I think Yutan will still stay 11 man even if they are barely under. They will just keep growing.

 

[Alum-Ni]

Updated the above list today with the following additions:

8-MAN
Arapahoe
Bayard
Elgin/Elgin Pope John
Riverside/Spalding Academy

6-MAN
Sumner-Eddyville-Miller

 

[Alum-Ni]

Football notes: Norris, Millard West coaches debut with wins

Norris handed defending Class B champion Omaha Skutt one of its all-time worst losses, and Millard West beat one of its school-district rivals to open the season.

omaha.com

Looks like Aquinas is exploring, and likely, to move down to 8-man

 

[LooseCannon]

Football notes: Norris, Millard West coaches debut with wins

Norris handed defending Class B champion Omaha Skutt one of its all-time worst losses, and Millard West beat one of its school-district rivals to open the season.

omaha.com

Looks like Aquinas is exploring, and likely, to move down to 8-man

It’s the right move for them.

 

[Alum-Ni]

Updated on 9/11 with the following additions:

11-Man
Doniphan-Trumbull
Louisville

8-Man
Ainsworth
Fullerton
Lawrence-Nelson
Leyton
North Platte St. Patrick's
Perkins County
Wausa/Osmond

 

[o_killerbees02]

Updated on 9/11 with the following additions:

11-Man
Doniphan-Trumbull
Louisville

8-Man
Ainsworth
Fullerton
Lawrence-Nelson
Leyton
North Platte St. Patrick's
Perkins County
Wausa/Osmond

Wausa/Osmond??

 

[LooseCannon]

Updated on 9/11 with the following additions:

11-Man
Doniphan-Trumbull
Louisville

8-Man
Ainsworth
Fullerton
Lawrence-Nelson
Leyton
North Platte St. Patrick's
Perkins County
Wausa/Osmond

I wonder if the NSAA mistyped Wausa-Osmond. That co-op was announced it would end this after this year. Osmond was going to go to Plainview.

 

[Alum-Ni]

I wonder if the NSAA mistyped Wausa-Osmond. That co-op was announced it would end this after this year. Osmond was going to go to Plainview.

That's what I was thinking as well.....unless they've had a change of heart

 

[SpaghettiSlayer]

Updated on 9/11 with the following additions:

8-Man
...
Leyton
...

Looks like Leyton will make the move back up to 8-man.

 

[rufuller]

That's what I was thinking as well.....unless they've had a change of heart

My source tells me Wausa is on their own next cycle with a 28 boy enrollment number

 

[Alum-Ni]

Another updated dropped today

Wausa now listed on their own.

Riverside/Spalding Academy now listed as declared for both 8-man and 6-man, so will wait for the next update to see where they actually land.

11-Man
Arlington
Battle Creek
Bellevue East
Douglas County West
Gretna
Kearney
Lincoln East
Lincoln Southwest
Millard South
St. Paul

8-Man
Bancroft-Rosalie
Hemingford
Homer
Nebraska City Lourdes
Neligh-Oakdale
O'Neill St. Mary's
Pleasanton
Shelby/Rising City
Tri County
Tri County Northeast

6-Man
Elba
Leyton
Parkview Christian
Pawnee City
Silver Lake
South Platte

 

[GrizzzlyPanda]

So is Plainviews plan to go 11? I have a hard time thinking that with Plainviews enrollment + Osmond they won't be over that 55 number?

 

[WestNEFBFan]

.

 

[Alum-Ni]

Above list updated on 9/19 with the following additions:

11-MAN
Alliance
Grand Island Central Catholic
Holdrege
Lincoln Lutheran
Logan View/Scribner-Snyder
Omaha Creighton Prep

8-MAN
Alma
Ansley/Litchfield
Central Valley
Crofton
Elkhorn Valley
Elm Creek
Howells-Dodge
Nebraska Christian
Osceola
Palmer
Sandhills/Thedford
Sutton

6-MAN
Hay Springs

 

[Rolling Hills Rebel]

When is the final date to declare?

 

[o_killerbees02]

When is the final date to declare?

November 30

 

[Alum-Ni]

Updated above list today with the following additions

11-MAN
Omaha Buena Vista

8-MAN
Creighton

6-MAN
Ansley/Litchfield
Lewiston

 

[Alum-Ni]

Updated on Oct. 7 with the following additions

11-Man
Nebraska City
Scottsbluff
York

8-Man
Cambridge
David City
Lutheran High Northeast
Tekamah-Herman
Twin River
Weeping Water

6-Man
Cody-Kilgore
Diller-Odell
Dorchester
Meridian
Paxton

The chart says Nebraska City is "opting" into C1

 

[SpaghettiSlayer]

8-Man
Tekamah-Herman

Looks like Tekamah-Herman joins Oakland-Craig on the move from 11-man to 8-man. I wonder how many other teams make the switch. Most of the lower-end C2 teams have not declared yet.

 

[LooseCannon]

Looks like Tekamah-Herman joins Oakland-Craig on the move from 11-man to 8-man. I wonder how many other teams make the switch. Most of the lower-end C2 teams have not declared yet.

What will be interesting is to see their number and O-C’s number next cycle. If they came together, they’d probably be C1. When 10 years ago, they would have been B.

 

[ftball95]

Anyone know why David City is going to stay 8 man, thought they had around 40 kids out and their boys enrollment number is over 80.

 

[Ponchn7138]

Because they don't believe they will win in 11 man. How we allowed opt down is crazy. Also if you don't have a chance at winning next game also know an option for you is to forfeit the game. Don't have to play it. Just say you are not healthy enough to play. Brilliant!

 

[Fourverts_18]

What will be interesting is to see their number and O-C’s number next cycle. If they came together, they’d probably be C1. When 10 years ago, they would have been B.

Lots of pride in both communities. Probably the case in all small Nebraska towns. I know there are more factors than football but in hindsight they maybe should have came together years ago.

 

[Alum-Ni]

Because they don't believe they will win in 11 man. How we allowed opt down is crazy. Also if you don't have a chance at winning next game also know an option for you is to forfeit the game. Don't have to play it. Just say you are not healthy enough to play. Brilliant!

Which also comes with it a $1,000 fine, the cost of the officials and ineligibility for the playoffs. Many, not all, will think twice before deciding to forfeit a game simply because they don't want to play it.

 

[LooseCannon]

Lots of pride in both communities. Probably the case in all small Nebraska towns. I know there are more factors than football but in hindsight they maybe should have came together years ago.

They should have gone through with the new high school idea they had in 2014 between Craig and Tekamah on Highway 32.