This past week, Cheyenne South High School announced that their football team would not be fielding a varsity team in 2027 and instead opt for a sub-varsity schedule in an effort to build the program. It’s been a huge struggle for the Bison who are currently riding a 65-game losing streak and have only won nine games in the past 16 seasons. It also brings up the question of what is next for Wyoming in terms of football classification and also what might happen with those open games for the 4A football schools next season. It is no secret that the Braves would like to schedule teams such as Sheridan and Natrona County should the opportunity arise, but according to Trevor Wilson, Commissioner with the Wyoming High School Activities Association (WHSAA), that will not be taking place next season.

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“We’ve had communication  for the past several months with South and ultimately it comes down to what they feel is best for their program,” he told SVI. “For 2027, what our 4A schools have decided is they will not schedule a game in that open week. They will receive a forfeit. They felt this was the fairest thing to do. They felt that early in the season some schools might be able to fill that but as the season went on it would be virtually impossible to fill that week.”

The state is currently in year one of a two-year classification cycle, standard protocol for the WHSAA. What happens next is up for discussion.

“Next September, our next reclass cycle [South] will have to decide,” Wilson noted. “It’s unfortunate. There’s no crystal ball for Cheyenne South right now.”

According to the current numbers from the WHSAA, the Average Daily Membership (ADM) or students capable of enrolling at each school, has South at an average of 1,269 students. Star Valley has an average of 852 and is the second-largest 3A football school behind Jackson Hole who has a number of 876. Wilson stated that travel is one of the biggest sticking points of a potential 12-team 4A football class.

“There’s no doubt that Star Valley can compete in the 4A classification,” he answered. “But their travel would be a nightmare. We’ll just keep listening to our schools and try and come up with a plan. It’s been a couple years that a 12-class 4A league was proposed and then went down from there. It would be a travel nightmare. If we did a 12-team league, the only way to do that would be a conference with five league games. Then play that conference schedule and then open up a non-conference schedule so they wouldn’t be comprised with that travel.”

It’s also part of a bigger picture where most Wyoming schools, including Star Valley and Cokeville, are losing enrollment. There are many factors including home schooling options and a declining birth rate which is a national trend.

“We’re a big state and in football we only have 58 schools,” Wilson added. “It’s hard to come up with a great plan. Most of our schools, especially those with 300-400 [students] and under, they are all losing enrollment. There are a lot of factors but our brick and mortar public schools are declining and that’s the simple fact. We had three teams, Kaycee, Meeteese and Shoshoni all forfeited their seasons this year. It’s across America and of course here in Wyoming.”

The city of Cheyenne and the school districts there have the say as to were students can enroll, The WHSAA has no authority in this matter.

“We allow any kid to attend any high school as an incoming freshman,” Wilson concluded. “They are eligible by our rules. School districts have their own rules and they do what they feel is best.”

Currently there is no proposals to change the 4A landscape but that could change in a year’s time as South plans on fielding a varsity team in 2028.