Michigan High School Football Team Cancels Season Amid Investigation Concerns

Gull Lake High School of Michigan has canceled its 2026 varsity football season, citing insufficient player participation amid separate state police and school district investigations into assault allegations stemming from incidents that reportedly took place during team campground visit.

In an email sent Tuesday night to parents, interim head football coach Josh Cunningham said after meeting with players "who shared significant concerns about the upcoming season" it was determined that the team could not safely continue with its upcoming campaign.

ALLEGED ASSAULT AT CAMP

The alleged assaults, according to Michigan State Police as reported by WWMT News, involved players and occurred at a football camp in Oceana County in late June.

Police reports obtained by WOOD-TV say there is recorded video of three incidents that took place June 23 and 24 at Lake Michigan Family Campground near Pentwater.

In late July, the school district placed Jalon Simpson, who was head coach at the time the alleged assaults took place, on paid non-disciplinary administrative leave while naming Cunningham as his temporary replacement.

NOT ENOUGH PARTICIPATION

The plan was to continue football preparations as usual with Cunningham at the helm. Gull Lake Community Schools superintendent Drew Bordner issued this statement in late July as the team prepared for its first official fall practice.

"We understand that some of our families may want more information about this subject," Bordner said. "At this time, however, we cannot share additional details. We appreciate your understanding."

Gull Lake held its first practice Monday before things quickly went south, prompting Cunningham to meet with players and make a decision on the status of the season, which led to eventually canceling it all together.

The Blue Devils, who compete in the Southwest Michigan Athletic Conference, were slated to begin a six-game regular-season schedule on Aug. 27. The program went 0-9 last season and has posted one winning record over the last 14 seasons.

SUPERINTENDENT SUPPORTS STUDENT SAFETY

Citing concerns over not having enough players to safely sustain a full season, Bordner said the following in a statement on Wednesday:

"As a District, we support the athletes who voiced their concerns about safety and made the difficult choice not to participate. While we had hoped that a season could continue, we will always prioritize student safety."

Gull Lake's 2026 roster, as posted on MaxPreps, is 43 players. With no football this season, Bordner said the school will turn its focus to other activities in order to fill the void.

"We know this news will bring a wide range of emotions across our community, particularly for the students and families who were prepared and excited to compete," Bordner said. "We recognize the effort, commitment, and anticipation that go into a fall season. We are deeply disappointed that these students will not have the opportunity to come together as they had planned. Our hearts are especially with our seniors."

Add us as a preferred source on Google