Week four of the Minnesota High School football season has come and gone, with a familiar name to Northeast residents missing for a second year. Edison did not field a football team again in 2025.
“Across the country, we’ve seen a decline in football participation for various reasons, including safety concerns, shifting interests, and changing demographics,” Dr. Kiristen “Coach K” Robinson, director of athletics for Edison High School, wrote over email. “That said, other sports continue to see healthy numbers and even growth in certain areas.”
As covered last year by the Northeaster, the high school football program at Edison had been ongoing since 1922. The 2024-25 season was the first year in which the team didn’t record a down.
Eryn Warne, principal of Edison, stated in that same article that the issue was twofold: A combination of a lack of Pee Wee programs in Northeast parks and more students participating in soccer.
Tim Grate, the athletics program manager with Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board (MPRB), echoed a similar sentiment around participation.
“We never stopped offering tackle football, but a lot of people took a step back,” Grate said over the phone. “In 2019, we had 18 tackle football teams and 21 flag football teams… In 2025, 2 tackle (teams) and 71 flag (teams).”
While the Edison High School football team won’t be taking any downs this year, the school has not seen a lack of participation in other school sports. According to the National Federation of State High School Associations, Minnesota has 232,247 students participating in league athletics, ranking tenth nationally in student participation, just below New Jersey. Texas and California are first and second respectively. (Edison High School)
While the drop in participation has been noticeable, both Robinson and Grate stated a higher number of participants overall. “Numbers are actually up a little bit across all participation. What they’re doing is different than days of the traditional sports,” Grate said.
As reported last year, Edison boys’ soccer saw about 90 students. The flag football programs have grown so large at MPRB that they added them to both fall and spring programming.
“At Edison, we’ve seen strong student participation in sports like basketball, cross country, soccer, and track and field. Girls’ volleyball has also experienced a surge of interest,” Robinson wrote.
Grate said he felt the issue primarily stemmed from concussions and kids playing on traveling teams that aren’t associated with MPRB. He doesn’t think it’s money related. He stated MPRB will put kids in equipment for little to no cost, depending on what the family can afford.
“This is not just a football issue — it reflects broader trends in how students choose to spend their time and the variety of extracurricular options available today,” Robinson wrote.
In past year, students would traditionally participate in multiple sports throughout their school years. There are many stories of Hall of Fame catcher Joe Mauer being a multi-sport athlete at Cretin-Derham Hall in St. Paul, or Bo Jackson becoming a professional in both football and baseball.
“Sports is becoming so specialized, we’re (MPRB) trying to get to a place more and more where we have options for these kids,” Grate said. “They’re doing one sport all year round.”
When asked about the future of football at Edison, Robinson reflected on the possibility of a co-op with other schools, which was reported in both the Northeaster and the Star Tribune.
“The idea of a co-op between Edison, South, and potentially a third school was one of many conversations exploring ways to strengthen football opportunities for students,” Robinson wrote. “If such a partnership were to move forward in the future, it would focus on ensuring access, development, and equity for all participating student-athletes.” Robinson and Edison have been attempting to build student interest in a football program. “Head Coach Joe Boyd has developed a detailed plan for this year’s football program with the goal of starting small and building momentum throughout the year,” Robinson wrote.
For those hoping to support the students at Edison and get football back, Robinson offers a way to do that. “Even something as simple as showing up in the stands sends a powerful message to our students that their community cares about them and is invested in their success.”