The Iowa girls high school basketball season is right around the corner.
Just not for six programs.
According to a report by Jeff Linder of the Cedar Rapids Gazette, a total of six high schools have informed the Iowa Girls High School Athletic Union that they will not field varsity programs for the 2026-2027 season.
The schools listed include Central City, Postville, Starmont, Vinton-Shellsburg, West Central and Sumner-Fredericksburg.
Several Iowa Girls High School Basketball Programs Not Fielding Varsity Teams In 2026-2027
For Central City, this will mark the third consecutive season they have not competed at the varsity level. The Wildcats won six games during the 2023-2024 campaign and had winning campaigns in 2021-2022 and 2020-21.
Postville is another team that will have spent two consecutive seasons on the sidelines. The Pirates last played in 2024-2025, winning one game. Since going 7-12 in 2015-2016, Postville has won a total of 14 games.
Starmont has won just three games over the past five seasons, as they also did not field a varsity program last winter. Vinton-Shellsburg did play in 2025-206, but they did not win a game.
The Vikings made the state tournament in 2022, winning 18 games. They had four straight winning seasons starting in 2019.
West Central, Sumner-Fredericksburg Have Had Recent Success On The Hardwood
West Central also competed last year, winning nine games. The Wildcats won 14 times in 2024-2025 and 12 in 2023-2024. They won at least five games each year since 2006.
Sumner-Fredericksburg finished 9-14 during the 2025-2026 campaign. They had a string of winning seasons each year from 2009-2024, including 11 of those years with at least 17 wins.
Girls Basketball Having The Same Kind Of Troubles As High School Football In Iowa
The official start date for the Iowa girls high school basketball season is Monday, November 9. Games can be played as early as Friday, November 20, with teams allowed 21 games during the season.
The regional tournaments tip on February 11, with the Iowa Girls High School Athletic Union State Tournament taking place March 1-6, 2027, at the Casey’s Center in Des Moines, Iowa.
Both the Iowa High School Athletic Association and the Iowa Girls High School Athletic Union passed a bill allowing eighth-graders to compete in varsity sports.
The decision by these six schools not to field varsity programs in girls basketball continues a troubling trend in Iowa. Over the past few years, more and more schools have opted to do the same.
Earlier this year, a handful of Iowa high school football teams also made the call to not compete at the varsity level.
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