Andy's Take: Has competitive imbalance reached a breaking point in high school football?

Parity among the high school football elites might be alive and well, but when moving down the proverbial ladder of talent levels from state to state, you can find plenty of examples of why many are in search of the Holy Grail of competitive balance.

Because of the freedom that many states provide student-athletes when it comes to transferring from school-to-school, many high school football programs are becoming top-heavy, which is leaving less and less talent to the middle of the road teams every year. 2025 is playing out no differently compared to recent years when it comes to top-end schools, but there’s more and more programs struggling to keep up with the evolving times.

Prime examples have popped up all across the country as teams have opted in some cases to forfeit rather than face the prospects of a blowout defeat by a powerhouse or even just a team a school may know will throughly defeat them several scores and possibly injuries stemming from the game.

The latest case in point is that of the 10/11 News report on Tuesday afternoon that Lincoln High (Neb.) announcing that the Links, a 4-2 Nebraska high school football team, would be forfeiting Friday’s contest against defending NSAA Class A state champion Millard South due to player injuries sustained the week before.

What could be presumed from the game cancelation is that the Links didn’t want to be the latest punching bag for a Patriots team that is crushing everyone in Nebraska. Millard South this season has out-scored their first six opponents by a combined score of 391-17. The Patriots’ offense has scored at ease, averaging an eye-popping 65.1 points per game.

The forfeit announcement brought on talk of the state of high school football, catching the ire of former NFL’er Danny Woodhead.

Sad deal where Nebraska hs fball is. College and NFL there will be adversity and competition and allowing the wild wild west in high school doesn’t prepare them for college fball.

Sad deal where Nebraska hs fball is. College and NFL there will be adversity and competition and allowing the wild wild west in high school doesn’t prepare them for college fball. https://t.co/07b0xGB8uz

— danny woodhead (@danny__woodhead) October 7, 2025

Don’t take what just happened out in the Midwest as the lone example of competitive imbalance that’s occurred in the nation as Western Pennsylvania’s WPIAL has seen its fair share of forfeitures throughout the 2025 campaign. So much so, an Pennsylvania athletic director has proposed an idea to create a competitive balance model to help level out play throughout the western part of the state.

Fox Chapel Area Director of Athletics Mike O’Brien announced in a press release a proposal for a competitive balance model to improve competition for Western Pennsylvania high school football.

“In public education, school districts are required to meet students where they are to provide the best education possible. No one can deny that our interscholastic sports programs are an extension of the classroom,” O’Brien said via the release.

“As such, it is our job to look out for the health and safety of every student, every day. This includes the time they spend, not just in the classroom, but also playing interscholastic sports. That is why, at the crux, the new proposal to realign the way football is organized in Western Pennsylvania is about keeping kids safe.”

One team that has really grappled with the realities of high school football is the Baldwin Fighting Highlanders (Pa.), which is in the midst of a 25-game losing streak and are off to a 0-7 start this fall. Baldwin has been out-scored 401-59. The situation became so dire that Baldwin athletic director Tony Cherico sent emails to ADs of the Fighting Highlanders’ last five opponents regarding playing games under the potential use of running clocks.

O’Brien touched on that the WPIAL needed to look at evolving and putting into consideration where a program’s current standing is and have them play against like-talented teams instead of putting them in a mismatch.

“We need to evolve. We need to meet these student-athletes and teams where they are and consider other factors when placing teams in categories. This proposal takes into consideration a team’s current and past performances, roster numbers, and a program’s current standing. It matches teams that will be able to compete with one another. Unfortunately, despite the large amount of work students are putting in, some are not winning even a single contest during the season,” O’Brien added in the press release.

These kinds of cases are highlighted because this beginning to take place all around the country, with teams going into Thursday or Friday nights knowing the chances of winning are below slim. They’re non-existent in many scenarios.

What could be the special antidote in order to curb where high school football is going throughout the nation? Is flattening the number of times players can transfer in states help deter players from bouncing from school to school every season?

The Georgia High School Association (GHSA) made a move in that direction back in June, cracking down on student-athlete transfers within the state, with any athlete who transfer schools multiple times after the ninth grade being made ineligible for one year.

More tightening of the transfer rules have been seen in states as associations look to regain control of student-athlete movement from year to year.

Seemingly gone are the days of playing for your home school for the pride of your community. What has been going on for years with high school football players transferring for reasons like getting more exposure for college recruitment to dreams of playing for a state championship one day.

Balance at the top when it comes to high school football elites may be as strong as ever, but competitive balance below that may be at an all-time low.

How to Follow National High School Football

For national high school football fans looking to keep up with scores around the nation, staying updated on the action is now easier than ever with the Rivals National High School Scoreboard. This comprehensive resource provides real-time updates and final scores from across the state, ensuring you never miss a moment of the Friday night frenzy. From nail-biting finishes to dominant performances, the Rivals National High School Scoreboard is your one-stop destination for tracking all the gridiron excitement across the country.