There is a new spring football league geared toward high school players scheduled to begin next spring across America, but area high school coaches aren’t sold on it.

Brian Woods, former president of the United States Football League, announced the launching of the Prep Super League earlier this week as a way to develop high school-aged players for college opportunities.

Woods, according to an Associated Press story, said the league intends to have team located in Atlanta, Cleveland, Dallas, Houston, New Jersey, New Orleans, Los Angeles, Miami, Phoenix, San Diego, San Francisco and Tampa. The league will use NCAA rules and will be independent of high school associations.

“If you look at 7-on-7, you look at these camps, at the end of the day, none of them are 11-on-11 football,” said Woods. “None of them are going to give a quarterback, for instance, in a 7-on-7 situation, a live pass rush. So if you’re looking to evaluate players in an actual football context, that’s what this league is about.”

Per the AP report:

• Potential players would pay a “player developmental fee” to participate. Only players who are enrolled at an accredited middle or high school curriculum and live in one of the 12 markets are eligible, with target prospects being those entering their sophomore or junior years of high school.

• Players will wear sensors to measure performance metrics that can be shared with college or professional leagues.

• Players could also get Name, Image and Likeness (NIL) benefit from the league.

“I saw the link and didn’t even click on it,” said Chardon coach Mitch Hewitt. “It’d have to be suited for the top, top, top kids, like a kid that’s willing to forego his senior year of football. Maybe then it works. But that’s just the very, very, very top-end guys.

“How do you do this from an eligibility standpoint?”

That’s a massive question because two OHSAA bylaws would likely be violated by any player participating in such a league. The OHSAA does not allow for tackle football to be played outside of the season, and the OHSAA doesn’t allow student-athletes to make money on their NIL. An NIL measure failed by member school vote, 538-254, last year.

The News-Herald reached out to OHSAA commissioners, but did not receive comment.

“It’d have to start with the OHSAA, because (participants) would be deemed ineligible,” said South coach Matt Duffy. “Any kid that participates in a league at any time (besides the scheduled season) is deemed ineligible the following year. The OHSAA would have to change its bylaws.”

Even if the bylaws were changed, Duffy isn’t sold on it being a good idea. Mentor coach Matt Gray agreed.

“If you ask a kid to play 10-16 football games in the fall, then play an X-amount of games in the spring, that’s not good nor is it in the best interests of the young men,” said Gray.

Count Kirtland coach Tiger LaVerde a skeptic, also.

“Our sport is too physical to play year-round like AAU basketball,” he said. “Sounds like someone is trying to make money off it, like all the AAU stuff. I don’t think it’s good for kids.”

Said another high school coach: “The elite don’t need the exposure. If you’re an elite dude and have offers already, are you going to play in this league?”