Cheboygan High School announced that its varsity football program will not field a team for the 2026 season.
The decision follows a roster that shrunk to just 13 players, a number too low to safely compete in an 11‑player schedule.
A Season Suspended
Head coach Bill Nesbitt and his staff delivered the news during a team meeting, emphasizing that player health and safety left no other viable option.
The announcement came after a week‑long bonding camp at Lake Louise, where the squad had hoped to build chemistry despite the dwindling numbers.
Originally slated to open on the road against Sault Ste. Marie, the canceled schedule would have marked the first game of the fall.
Nesbitt had long warned that participation issues in the junior varsity ranks, which had already forfeited several games, were a warning sign.
With the junior program struggling, the varsity team faced a cascade of challenges that made a full season untenable.
Community Response and Future Plans
Rather than dissolve the program entirely, Nesbitt suggested that players and coaches explore alternative ways to stay involved, such as supporting the junior varsity squad or volunteering for the Junior Chiefs.
He also proposed that the group attend local games together, fostering community spirit while the school evaluates the future of its football offerings.
The cancellation does not mark the end of football at Cheboygan; instead, it opens a dialogue about rebuilding participation at the youth level and ensuring that when the team does return, it can do so safely.