Iowa High School Football Playoff Teams To Be Cut By Half In 2016

Iowa's high school football playoff field will be cut in half for 2016.

The Iowa High School Athletic Association voted on Monday to reduce the Iowa High School Football playoff qualifiers from 32 to 16 in all six classes, citing player safety. The board's concern is in the postseason where athletes take part in up to five games in a four-week window.

The decision could cost the association $250,000 to $300,000 a year.

It's the first reduction in the number of Iowa playoff qualifiers since the postseason began for the sport in 1972.

The number of playoff teams increased from 16 to 32 in 2008. For the smaller schools, this was a good decision to increase the number of teams. Some schools with only 2 losses had been eliminated from playoff contention before 2008. However, Iowa doesn't have as many large schools and having 32 large school teams resulted in a few teams making the playoffs with only a 2-7 record.

It would make more sense if the Iowa High School Athletic Association Board would only take 16 teams from the larger schools and leave the oher Classes at 32 teams.