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New rules taking effect this fall shakes up the high school football season across Minnesota.  These changes will, in some cases, upset traditional football rivalries such as Albert Lea and Austin with new districts while making the season scheduling task a bit easier for schools and students. MPR News' Tom Weber talks with John Millea from the Minnesota State High School League about the changes.

Participation in high school football is declining. Some schools are finding it difficult to maintain enrollment numbers for the traditional classification ranking and in some cases are creating cooperative teams with neighboring districts. 

Many teams were having difficulty filling out their eight-game season with nearby schools of the same class.  Some teams were driving extremely long distances for away games that took the students out of the classroom for long periods. The new rules won't eliminate long bus rides entirely, but the difficulty of scheduling a game has been lessened. 

Under the old system, schools had to make the schedules themselves, and under the new system,  districts handle filling out the schedule. Each of the schools has a representative at the district, usually an athletics director or a coach, and they decide how to fill out the season for all of the schools in the district. It is up to each district how they want to determine the schedule. 

Click here to explore the districts and the high schools in each district

' lists the activity classifications as: 

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High school football season is upon us in Minnesota, and there are significant changes coming in scheduling and divisions. Tom Weber talks with John Millea from the Minnesota State High School League about the developments.

High school football season is upon us in Minnesota and there are significant changes coming in scheduling and divisions. Tom Weber talks with John Millea from the Minnesota State High School League about the changes.

High school football season ready for massive upset

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