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

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
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