Football is back in the Big Bend.
The fall sports calendar officially starts today for Florida High School Athletic Association programs, and with that, football practices begin as kickoff classic games are just two weeks away.
While school isn’t back in session until Monday, Aug. 12, student-athletes are back on campus as they prepare for the 2024 football season.
As usual, the FHSAA made some changes to the landscape of preps football, introducing NIL, new classifications and districts for the 2024 season.
So with that said, here is what you need to know for the coming high school football year.
NIL is here, how will it be implemented in year one?
The newest addition to the ever-changing high school football landscape in Florida is the arrival of Name, Image and Likeness, better known as NIL.
With the Florida Department of Education officially passing the FHSAA’s proposed language, NIL is in effect in Florida allowing high school athletes to profit off their image. Becoming the 36th state to adopt some form of NIL language, here is how Florida athletes can make a profit.
A player is not allowed to take money from any school collective, with collectives prohibited by the FHSAA to avoid mirroring the dramatic landscape of college NIL and avoid chances for schools to pay players directly. A player who takes a deal cannot appear in any promotional material with his or her school likeness.
Deals are allowed to be made, and players must negation NIL deals on their own or with parents/guardians. Players can endorse local businesses, clothing brands, restaurants, etc.
Prohibitions on deals involving companies in several specified fields, including alcohol, tobacco, marijuana and others are in place per the FHSAA guidelines.
What are the new districts, and classifications for Big Bend programs?
Shortly after the conclusion of the 2023 FHSAA State Championships, the FHSAA announced its plan to do away with the metro/suburban classification system in high school football.
Introducing a new 7A-1A system, including a Rural division, the FHSAA got rid of its metro/suburban experiment after just a handful of seasons. The new classification structure mirrors what the FHSAA traditionally did before metro/suburban, and it has drawn mixed reviews from coaches around the state.
Aucilla Christian left the FHSAA and has joined the independent Sunshine State Athletic Conference for the 2024 season. The independent conference has over 90 members and added a large quantity of teams to its league following the FHSAA reclassifications.
Here is where Big Bend teams landed in the restructuring.
Rural Divison, Region 2
Rural Divison, Region 3
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Madison County
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Jefferson County
Class 1A, District 1
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FAMU DRS
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North Florida Christian
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St. John Paul II
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Maclay
Class 2A, District 3
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Florida High
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Gadsden County
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Taylor County
Class 3A, District 2
Class 4A, District 2
Class 5A, District 2
Who are the five new head football coaches in the area?
When the offseason comes you are almost guaranteed at least one new coach every season, some departures come as a surprise, and others come as a shock.
As we enter the preseason, five area programs will be under new leadership as Godby, Leon, NFC, FAMU DRS and Taylor County all have new head coaches on the sidelines.
Here are the new Big Bend High School football coaches:
Important dates to know as kickoff nears
With practice beginning, what other dates are important to area fans as kickoff nears on the 2024 season?
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On Monday, July 29, the FHSAA officially allowed fall sports to practice and enter the preseason.
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Kickoff Classic games will take place over three days, with games scheduled for Thursday, Aug. 15, Friday, Aug. 16, and Saturday, Aug. 17.
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The first regular season games will take place on Thursday, Aug. 22, but the majority of games will be played on Friday, Aug. 23
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Friday, Oct. 25 is the last day for district play
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Friday, Nov. 1 is the last day of the regular season
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Playoffs begin on Friday, Nov. 8 with regional quarterfinals. Semifinals will be played Nov. 15, and regional finals Nov. 22.
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State Championship games have yet to be announced but they will be played in December.
Liam Rooney covers preps sports for the Tallahassee Democrat. Contact him via email at LRooney@gannett.com or on Twitter @__liamrooney
This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: Everything to know for the 2024 Big Bend high school football season
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