SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO-AM) -- Not 11, not nine, but six players per side in high school football in South Dakota?
It's something the South Dakota High School Activities Association is considering to help smaller schools struggling with fielding even a nine person team.
KWSN-AM sports director Craig Mattick, a longtime observer of high school sports in the region, says getting enough teams to allow for reasonable scheduling is one of the biggest obstacles. He says there need to be at least nine teams in the class, but that could mean far more travel across the state to find opponents than is the case now, adding to the expense.
He also said some schools simply don't want to consolidate, often because they don't want to move up a class in football.
There are currently seven classes in South Dakota high school football: 11AAA, 11AA, 11A, 9AA, 9A and 9B.