8-Player Football History

The WIAA introduced a reduced-player football option for the first time in 1937 with a six-player opportunity intended to serve small schools. An eight-player option was introduced a few years later, and prior to 1941, there were 90 schools playing either six- or eight-player football.

World War II had an impact as the number of reduced-player teams declined to 70. In 1950, there were 50 six-player teams and 26 eight-player squads. By 1956, the eight-player game had all but replaced the six-player option as 71  programs were playing eight-player to only six schools sponsoring the six-player option. By 1969, almost every football program was 11-player with the number of teams playing eight-player dwindling to six.

In 2012, the WIAA reinstated reduced-player football with 16 teams optioning for the eight-player format that season. For six seasons, the top four teams in two separate regions were afforded an opportunity to match-up and play in a four-game jamboree at the end of the season.

In 2018, the WIAA began sponsoring a State Tournament Series and championship for 8-player football. There were 32 teams sponsoring the sport that season, but three programs dropped because of low participation numbers and four were ineligible based on their three-year average enrollment. Schools with a three-year enrollment average of 200 or less are eligible for the Tournament Series.

The first State championship game was held at Stanley-Boyd High School. In 2019, the playoff field expanded to 16 teams, and the title game was moved to Chippewa Falls. There was only one level of playoffs with eight qualifying teams and no championship in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2021, the championship game moved to its current location at South Wood County Stadium at Wisconsin Rapids Lincoln H.S.

Newman Catholic has won two championships, while Florence, Luck and Sevastopol each have won one title. Luck and Newman Catholic are the only programs to have played in three championship games.

Newman Catholic, Northwood/Solon Springs, Oakfield and Siren have qualified for the playoffs six times. Florence, McDonell Catholic and Wabeno/Laona have earned playoff berths five times. There are three programs that have qualified for the 8-player playoffs four times, including Clayton, Gibraltar and Shell Lake.

Tournament Series Results