Sprint FAQs

What is sprint football? • Sprint football can best be described as ‘light weight’ football. Players must weigh 178 pounds or less; all other rules are the same as for regular football. As a result of the weight restrictions, the is very quick, and while there are physical components of the game, the two players are more evenly matched.

Are the rules the same as ? • The rules are the same except for the weight limitation on the players. The rules for the Midwest Sprint Football League (MSFL) can be found at https://www.midwestsprintfootball.com/

Is this new? • No. The first and only sprint football league in the United States, the Central Sprint Football League, formed in 1934 and is comprised of four Ivy’s (Army, Navy, Cornell and Penn), as well as a half dozen DII and DIII institutions on the East Coast.

Why start a sprint football league in the Midwest? • To provide high school athletes the opportunity to play a sport at which they excel, but may not have the opportunity due to their stature.

Will students be able to earn athletic scholarships? • Yes. There is no ban on offering athletic scholarships for sprint football players and the coaching staff will assess talent in awarding scholarships. Sprint football is not an NCAA or NAIA sport.

Where will the team play? • This has yet to be determined. We will begin the process of identifying an off-campus location where home games will be played.

What about concussions? • There has been much discussion related to concussions by the presidents and there has been a safety standard established that any helmets purchased must meet. Additionally, there has been information collected from the CSFL schools regarding their players’ concussion history and the numbers are lower than other non-football currently offered at Midway, part of which is due to the weight limits set for sprint football players.