There was some concern from persons in the athletic department that an area school district would have to change to another classification for football in upcoming years.
According to minutes from the Sweet Springs R-7 School Board meeting in November, the board heard concerns from athletic director Tim Smith and head football coach Kris Conley as they explained that across the state there is a decrease in high school football participation, and therefore some schools are transitioning from traditional 11-man football to the eight-man version of the game. They noted game schedules are done on a two-year basis.
In November, after looking at upcoming class rosters, Smith expressed concern that Sweet Springs High School participation numbers will be low with the 2021 football season. Options such as adding a third school to the co-op have been discussed, but he foresees scheduling practices to be difficult between three schools. Sweet Springs already has a co-op agreement with the Malta Bend R-5 School District. Smith reported that several schools in the I-70 Conference also are looking into transitioning to an eight-man program.
During the meeting on Wednesday, December 18, football coaches Conley, Zach Thomas and Travis Wike, along with high school principal Josh Hume, superintendent Lori Price and the board discussed the pros and cons of transitioning to eight-man football. But in the end, the board voted to continue an 11-man football program.