Does South Dakota have the most high school football classes?

South Dakota’s seven classifications of high school football is among the highest in the country, but it’s one fewer than Illinois, which has eight.

South Dakota increased the number of classes from six to seven in 2013 when the state added a fourth 11-man class, with the largest schools moving to Class 11AAA. The other three classes consist of nine-man schools. The seven classes don’t include the All Nations Football Conference, which features 16 tribal teams.

One proposal in 2019 was for five classes (three 11-man and two nine-man) and another was for six, but ultimately the SDHSAA decided to stay with seven.

Regionally, Minnesota has seven football classes, including one for nine players; North Dakota has four, including one nine-man; Wyoming has five, including one nine-man and one six-man; Wyoming has seven, including two eight-man and one six-man; and Iowa has seven, including one eight-player. Texas has six.