The Iowa High School Athletic Association has prioritized football student athlete safety over potential revenue in a move which cuts the state high school football playoffs in half. The Association’s Director, Alan Beste, estimates that the move of eliminating one of the playoff rounds will cost upwards of $300,000. West Central Valley High School’s Activities Director Tod Broman says the revenue cutting move initially surprised him, but he believes it’s the right call in trying to keep the kids safe. “When they came back and decided to stick with a 9 game schedule but then cut the playoff teams to 16, that was a big surprise to me. I thought that no way would the athletic association want to give up the extra income from the playoff games. But with the main emphasis on watching for concussions and all that, this is the right move, this is a smart move.”

The changes will take place for the 2016 season.