TOLEDO, Ohio — Toledo Christian Schools announced Wednesday it will return to 11-man football beginning next season.
Toledo Christian said it is projected to exceed both Michigan and Ohio limits for 8-man football participation. Therefore, the Eagles will return to 11-man football as an independent school for the upcoming 2025-26 season and then rejoin the Toledo Area Athletic Conference for the 2026-27 season.
Toledo Christian made the move to 8-man football in 2019 due to lower high school enrollment and partnered with Stryker High School to establish the Northern 8 Football Conference.
Toledo Christian said the Northern 8 Conference was founded with a high school boy enrollment of less than 93 "and we will consistently surpass that number."
The Ohio High School Football Coaches Association later introduced the first 8-man state championship in 2023. Toledo Christian has won back-to-back OHSFCA state titles.
"Our eight-man program has been transformative. It maintained the core values of high school athletics—teamwork, leadership, self-discipline, and sportsmanship—while providing meaningful competitive opportunities. The program reinvigorated football participation and team spirit, culminating in our team winning its second OHSFCA State Championship this year," Toledo Christian said in a press release.
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