Sneads High School opts to leave FHSAA
Sneads High School football will compete under new oversight in the 2026–2027 season. The school has decided to leave the Florida High School Athletic Association (FHSAA) at the end of this year and has been accepted into the Sunshine State Athletic Association (SSAA), an independent organization that offers competition across multiple sports.
Head football coach Bill Thomas spoke Friday about why the timing felt right.
Thomas said the FHSAA’s rural classification guidelines have become uneven because of how schools report enrollment. “Sneads has 340 students, 9 through 12. The enrollment for the rural league is supposed to stop at 600,” he said. “But everybody’s learned how to work the system… it’s gotten so far out of hand.” He noted that alternative programs, charter academies, and partial-day students can manipulate the final count, creating mismatches in competition.
He also expressed concern about the direction of small-school football. “When every kid wants to start a season with a dream they can win a state championship, and that dream goes away, it becomes a rec league,” he said. With numbers rising, he believes the pressure to bring in outside talent will only grow. “The only real way you’re going to be able to compete is to do like other schools have done and go get the best of the best. I’m against it, but that’s where it’s headed.”
Thomas contrasted how allegations of recruiting violations are handled. Under FHSAA rules, he said, “They send a letter to your superintendent and principal. It’s basically up to them to investigate… If they write back and say there’s no wrongdoing, it’s over.” The SSAA process, he noted, is more direct, “They send an investigation team. They interview students and parents.”
Finances were another deciding factor. “We scrape to get by,” Thomas said. He explained that when Sneads hosted Marianna, “Before we ever get a dime, the FHSAA gets 25% of the gate. Then we pay officials, then we split what’s left.” He described the high cost of playoff travel under FHSAA rules, including meals and mandatory security. “By the time this game today is over, it’ll cost us a lot of money,” he said.
That’s different under the SSAA. “They don’t take a dime of your regular-season playoff games. You split 50-50,” Thomas said. The only revenue the SSAA collects comes from state championship games, which are separated into public and private divisions.
Sneads won’t be alone in the move. Thomas said several schools are already applying. “Cottondale has applied. Wewahitchka just got accepted,” he said. More are expected to follow as the SSAA continues to expand.
