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Iowa High Schools

Recommend 16-team playoff to match IRL. Be advised playoff will pull from all classes. Suggest no transfers and draft after four years. -by Retro Gamer Dad

A representative selection of Iowa high schools, seeking to capture various levels, quality, and geographic spread.

For football, the IHSAA designates seven classes, based on a modified enrollment figure, that is reviewed every two years. The ranks are as follows:
5A: Largest 36 schools
4A: Next largest 36
3A: Next 36
2A: Next 48
1A: Next 48
A: Remaining 11-player schools (current count is 58)
8P: Eight-player division, schools with classification numbers under 105.

In order to maximize representation, I chose to apply the game's 200-school limit as follows:
5A: Two divisions of 20. Four schools from 4A were chosen to fill the count.
4A and 3A one division of 20
2A and 1A two divisions of 20
A and 8P one division of 20

Logos, colors, locations, and enrollment are as current and accurate as possible. I tried to keep rivals sensible within the structure. League divisions were chosen predominantly by geography, with some exceptions made for competitive balance and history. Ratings and archetypes would require an in-depth knowledge of the various schools, which is simply beyond my scope here. So I applied generic ratings across the board based on school size, with a few notable exceptions to align with history.

The game's structure doesn't allow for a true separation based on class. I added a handful of bowl games to give the lower class champions something to play for in the postseason.