No.
The number of high school football players in South Dakota has rebounded after hitting a 15-year low in 2019-20.
More than 5,500 students signed up to play high school football in 2024-25, with 2,048 of those in nine-man and 3,512 of them in 11-man.
During the 2018 season, the number of athletes dipped below 5,000 for the only time since at least 2009. In 2018, 4,997 competed, with 3,133 in 11-man and 1,846 in nine-man.
Despite declining participation across the country in the 2010s, numbers are starting to rise again nationally. In the 11-man game, there are about 23,000 more athletes in 2024-25 than 2018-19. Numbers also increased in nine-man.
The National Federation of High Schools says the increase is partly due to parents getting more comfortable with the safety of the sport after concussion protocols and new laws.
This fact brief responds to conversations such as this one.
Sources
NFHS, High school participation survey archive
NFHS, High school football continues to rebound from pre-pandemic decline
SDHSAA, Football
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