IHSAA releases football districts

The Iowa High School Athletic Association recently released football classifications and district assignments for the 2021 and 2022 football seasons.

The 2021 season will be the first time that Iowa plays with a new seventh classification, Class 5A, which the IHSAA approved earlier this year "to reduce the disparity in enrollment in the IHSAA's largest class of football, and to increase the number of participating teams and student-athletes in the postseason across all classes."

Full schedules, with non-district games, are expected to be released in April.

In Class 1A District 3, Aplington-Parkersburg and Dike-New Hartford will take on South Hardin, Central Springs, Denver, and East Marshall.

A-P, D-NH, East Marshall and South Hardin were all in a 1A district together last season.

As approved earlier this year, the playoffs will expand to 32 teams in Class 2A, 1A, A and 8-player, with an eight-game regular season schedule. All classes above 2A will remain at 16 playoff qualifiers and a nine-game regular season schedule.

In Class 2A, 1A, and A, the top four teams in each district will advance to the playoffs. In 8-player, the top three teams in each of the 10 districts will advance to the playoffs, along with two at-large berths awarded to teams with the best plus-or-minus 17-point differential in district play.