BOONE - A majority of the 47 schools that are currently playing Class 4A football are in favor of adopting a district format for determining playoff teams, it was announced at a meeting of the IHSAA Board of Control Thursday morning.

All 47 schools were surveyed on the topic, and the results were 25-22 in favor of a change to district football.

The board took no action on implementing a district format and appointed two board members - Xavier Principal Tom Keating and Johnston Athletic Director Gary Ross - to co-chair a subcommitte that will seek further input from all 47 schools before the full board votes on the issue later this year.

The survey results are not binding on the board, but IHSAA director Rick Wulkow called the 25-22 results a "huge swing" in sentiment for 4A district football.

Wulkow recommended the formation of the subcommittee to give all 47 schools a chance to have full hearing on the subject before the board votes.

"A 25-22 sampling is a majority, but it's not an overwhelming majority," he said. "I don't want to ram this down anyone's throat."

Wulkow stressed the importance of giving the subject a full airing before a vote is taken.

"Get everybody in the room," he suggested. "Not everybody will leave agreeing, but everybody will have the big picture. I think that's the track we should take."

The IHSAA implemented district football in 1992 for all of the classes except 4A, which was allowed to continue with conference alignments to help determine playoff teams. If district football is approved for Class 4A, it could spell the end of the Mississippi Valley Conference as a football league.

Under current IHSAA proposals, the 4A schools would be divided into eight districts of five or six schools apiece. Each team would play its district opponents, as well as additional non-district games to fill out the rest of the schedule.

"You can maintain some rivalries" with that format, Wulkow remarked.

If district football is approved, the IHSAA would arrange the schedules for all 4A schools. Under the current system, the 4A schools and leagues make their own schedules.

Four teams from each of the eight districts would make the Class 4A playoffs, keeping the playoff field at 32 teams.

The board will meet again in November, but Wulkow indicated a vote more likely would come in December. If Class 4A district football is approved, it would be implemented in time for the 2012 season.

The athletic directors from Jefferson, Kennedy, Washington, Prairie and Linn-Mar all told the Metro Sports Report last month that they intended to vote "no" on district football when they submitted their surveys to the IHSAA.

Xavier athletic director Mike Winker has declined to reveal how his school voted, but IHSAA board member Dr. Craig Scott of Chariton said during Thursday's meeting that Xavier voted in favor of district football.

Xavier currently plays in Class 4A, but the Saints could drop to Class 3A if a district format is adopted because Xavier's student enrollment is below the 700-student cutoff point. Xavier agreed to play 4A football when it entered the Mississippi Valley Conference, but it could become a moot point if district football is adopted.

Xavier could petition the IHSAA to play 4A football if districts are adopted, but the Saints have always opted to play in their own classification in other sports and would be assigned to 3A unless they prefer to play 4A.

The impetus for change appears to be coming from the 18-team CIML and the five-team Missouri River Conference, which say they have scheduling problems that need to be addressed. There appears to be less support for district football from the Mississippi Valley Conference and Mississippi Athletic Conference, the two other Class 4A leagues in the state.

Xavier, Dubuque Wahlert, Davenport Assumption and North Scott could drop to Class 3A if districts are implemented, leaving Class 4A with 43 teams. It would become 44 teams when new Ankeny Centennial High School opens in 2013.

The IHSAA has drawn tentative 4A districts, but they are not final. Kennedy, Jefferson and Linn-Mar were put in District 4 with Dubuque Hempstead and Dubuque senior, while Washington and Prairie were put in District 6 with Burlington, Iowa City High, Iowa City West and Muscatine.

Other district alignments are possible, and they could be changed every two years. "We could balance districts geographically as well as strength-wise," Wulkow said.

Keating and Ross agreed to co-chair the subcomittee that will invite all 47 schools to a full hearing. "I think this approach is what needs to be done," Ross said.

Keating agreed, saying it's difficult for schools on the eastern side of the state to understand problems confronting the western schools. "I think it's fair to say the eastern side of the state has had a more stable conference alignment than it's been in the west," he said.