'I wish!' Coaches, ADs sound off on moving Florida high school football to winter

Some liked the idea. Others laughed it off.

One athletic director was so annoyed by the suggestion that football is king that he refused to even finish reading the email.

We asked Southwest Florida high school football coaches and athletic directors about moving the sport to the winter – roughly November to March – to get away from the endless storms that annually plague the first two months of the season.

They rated – on a 0-to-10 scale (“0” so that they could score it that low) – two things: the likelihood it ever happens, and the hypothetical value of the idea.

Pro-con:Move Florida high school football to winter, possibly in trade with basketball

Story:Move Florida high school football to winter? Why something has to be done

Here’s their feedback (Editor's note: comments edited for brevity, clarity, etc.):

1. What is the chance football ever moves to winter (0-10 scale)?

• Average score: 0.67

2. How much merit does the idea have (0-10 scale)?

• Average score: 4

Comments:

“I’ve said this for four years. I wish it could happen. I don’t believe it will. I don’t think small schools can afford to go to winter. Most would struggle for athletes with soccer. Also, field space would be a nightmare. We already fight specialization, which hurts kids more than anything. I’d love to see the opinion of the rest of the state.” – Mike Marciano, athletic director, Southwest Florida Christian Academy

“I wish! Makes sense, but the FHSAA would never change the season.” – Pete Seitz, athletic director, Golden Gate 

“You are really disrupting too many factors. The holiday basketball tournaments are great for the sport. But something has to be done. Move the football season back three weeks and eliminate the bye week.” – William Hagen, athletic director, East Lee County 

“We would have to drastically change the NCAA recruiting cycle and signing period for football, and there would be no mid-year graduations and enrollment for spring semester. Whoever came up with this idea needs to have more juice (i.e., money, influence, access) than the Power 5 conferences and their boosters. And I really like spending Christmas at home with my family. We already practice on Thanksgiving.” – Bill Kramer, head coach, Naples High

“I would be completely against it. We would lose our incredibly valuable summer preparation. Many kids would focus on what was coming in the fall. Football needs that extra time to prepare for the physical demands of the game.” – Bill Moore, head coach, Southwest Florida Christian Academy

“I have been pushing this idea for years. It eliminates heat issues and weather delays and gives Florida a huge recruiting advantage if kids will stay and not enroll in college early. It would be bucking all sorts of tradition, but I would vote for it.” – Damon Jones, athletic director and head coach, St. John Neumann

“A crazy idea would be to build 2-3 indoor facilities and host multiple games Friday and Saturday. College coaches could catch multiple games without driving around town and seeing only a quarter or less of a game. This overlooks costs, but we’re all dreaming here.” – Tyler Gold, athletic director, Evangelical Christian School

“Florida is a significant college recruiting ground. Maybe we look at building about six indoor arenas that can seat about 5,000. They can double as AP test centers, hold graduations, national volleyball tournaments and soccer. There are a ton of opportunities if we expand our aperture.” – Bart Weiss, athletic director, Community School of Naples

“I like the idea. Granted it’s a really tough sell with the northern Florida areas, who have different weather patterns.” – Liam Farrell, athletic director, Cypress Lake

“We lose a month of the season in August and September. If everyone in the state is on board it can be pulled off. It’s an interesting discussion.” – Chris Siner, athletic director and head coach, LaBelle

“The merit is 10 for the community, 0 for the players. It’s not fair to the kids who need to graduate early and play college football in the spring.” – Thomas Scalise, head coach, Gulf Coast

“There’s other measures before this drastic a move. Move the school day back and practice in the morning. When I first moved here in 2002, our start time was (8:40 a.m.) for high schools. This doesn’t address Friday nights. But the weather is worse some years than others.” – Brian Conn, head coach, South Fort Myers

“Something has to be done. A move would be drastic and met with apprehension, but all parties over time would adjust, like they always do.” – Richie Rode, head coach, Cypress Lake

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