After approving the Zero Week football scheduling concept in October, the MSHSL board unanimously approved the application details at Thursday's meeting. The highlights: Teams playing Zero Week games can practice up to three days during a mandatory regular-season bye week. A committee of two coaches, two athletic directors and one MSHSL staff member will approve or deny applications to schedule Zero Week games.
Zero Week will allow some schools to play a football game one week before the majority of the teams in the state begin play, thereby relieving the difficulties some teams experience when searching for an opponent with the same bye week during the season.
Also unanimously approved by the board:
- The state wrestling tournament will change from its current 4-day format to a 3-day format, starting with the upcoming tournament in March. Details of how the format will look is forthcoming, but the same amount of teams and individual athletes will compete. Board members said athletes will miss fewer days of school and expenses will be reduced.
- Teams interested in opting up to a higher classification within a sport can do so for two years rather than four years.
- Grand Rapids has been assigned to the Central Lakes Conference while Duluth East and Denfeld have been placed in the Mississippi 8 Conference.
