7 Florida High Schools To Form Football-Only Conference Starting 2026-2027: Report

According to a report, schools out of Charlotte, Hardee, Heartlands and Polk counties are forming their own new football-only conference
Frostproof won its fourth state title in school history.
Frostproof won its fourth state title in school history. / Robert Magobet / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Come the 2026-2027 school year, there will be a new football-only conference in the state of Florida.

According to a report by Doug Donnelly, seven schools out of the Heartland and Southwest Florida are aiming to form the new Heartland Conference that will include Avon Park, DeSoto County, Frostproof, LaBelle, Lake Placid, Lemon Bay and Hardee.

Frostproof won a championship in the SSAA this past season, its fourth state title in program history.

Per Donnelly's report, the new conference would begin play in 2026 so each of the seven programs can finish out their current game contracts before starting anew.

“The rebirth of the Heartland Conference will be exciting for communities, fans, players, and coaches,” said DeSoto County head coach Cliff Lohrey said per the report. “The opportunity to create stability in the continuously changing world of high school athletics is important for rivalries that are heading toward extinction. The chance to have both conference and district play in our schedule is important in creating an environment where every game matters.”

Some of the pros of the conference said by organizers per Donnelly's report is the creation of natural rivalries, geographically friendlier and assisting with scheduling. Also included will be awards and trophies at the end of the year for the new conference.

HEARTLAND CONFERENCE

(Starting in 2026-2027)

Avon Park

DeSoto County

Frostproof

Hardee

LaBelle

Lake Placid

Lemon Bay


More From High School On SI 

 NFL Hall Of Famer Ed Reed Named As Chamblee (Georgia) Offensive Coordinator

• Two Texas High School Football Head Coaches Mentioned As Possible Dallas Cowboys' HC Candidates

• Archbishop Stepinac's Mike O'Donnell Retiring After 37 Seasons As Head Coach: Report

• Bill Belichick Looking To Land IMG National's Billy Miller On UNC Coaching Staff: Report


Follow High School On SI throughout the 2024 high school football season for Live Updates, the most up to date Schedules & Scores and complete coverage from the preseason through the state championships!

Be sure to Bookmark High School on SI for all of the latest high school football news.

High School On SI will serve as the premier destination for high school sports fans, delivering unparalleled coverage of high school athletics nationwide through in-depth stories, recruiting coverage, rankings, highlights and much more. The launch of a dedicated high school experience expands Sports Illustrated’s reach to even more local communities as fans can now truly follow athletes from “preps to the pros” on a single platform, bringing them closer to the action than ever before. For more information, visit si.com/high-school.

Download the SBLive App

To get live updates on your phone - as well as follow your favorite teams and top games - you can download the SBLive Sports app: Download iPhone App| Download Android App

-- Andy Villamarzo | villamarzo@scorebooklive.com | @highschoolonsi


Published
Andy Villamarzo
ANDY VILLAMARZO

Andy Villamarzo has been a sports writer in the Tampa Bay (FL) Area since 2007, writing for publications such as Tampa Bay Times, The Tampa Tribune, The Suncoast News, Tampa Beacon, Hernando Sun to name a few. Andy resides out of the Tarpon Springs, FL area and started as a writer with SB Live Sports in the summer of 2022 covering the Tampa Bay Area. He has quickly become one of Florida's foremost authorities on high school sports, appearing frequently on podcasts, radio programs and digital broadcasts as an expert on team rankings, recruiting and much more.