Emporia football is set to leave the Centennial League in 2028.
Emporia High School administrators presented a proposal Wednesday night to the USD 253 Emporia Board of Education that would move Spartan football out of the Centennial League.
Beau Welch, EHS athletic director, outlined the idea during the board’s regular meeting. The proposal is aimed at improving competitiveness for the Spartans, who have struggled against their current 6A conference opponents.
Emporia High has not won a Centennial League football game since 2019. Welch said leaving the league could allow the program to schedule more 5A opponents, better matching EHS in enrollment and depth and he is up for the task of finding those schools.
Currently, the Spartans face Junction City, Washburn Rural, Manhattan and Topeka schools each season. Emporia High has at least 500 fewer students than each of those schools and nearly 900 fewer than Manhattan, the largest in the league. Head football coach Danny Goodman has expressed interest in competing against schools more closely aligned with Emporia’s size and resources.
The board listened to the presentation and football will leave the Centennial League starting in 2028.
