BOONE, Iowa – As national participation in high school sports hit another all-time high and increased for a fifth consecutive year, Iowa solidified its place as the No. 1 ranked state for participation per state population according to the annual NFHS High School Athletics Participation Survey.
Iowa remains the only state in the nation with separate organizations governing boys’ and girls’ sports. Combined, the 2025-26 school year saw Iowa’s highest overall participation total since 2008-09.
“We are pleased to see the number of students involved in high school sports continuing to rise every year,” said NFHS executive director Davis Whitfield.
“Education-based sports within our nation’s schools is a privilege not available in most other countries, and we are thankful these opportunities continue to expand.
“We salute the coaches, athletic directors and school administrators for making these experiences happen, especially with some of the recent growth in several emerging sports. It is great to see new sport opportunities created to involve as many students as possible in high school sports.”
The National Federation for State High School Associations (NFHS) reports more than 8.4 million participants across all sanctioned sports nationwide. Texas (911,405) and California (859,022) remained atop the list of state participation by a wide margin. Iowa ranked 31st nationally for population in the 2020 census, but was 21st in participation for the third year in a row in 2025-26, with 145,730 total entries. Per the NFHS survey, that’s up from 139,344 total participants in 2024-25, when Iowa still led the nation for highest rate of participation per population.
The Iowa High School Athletic Association (IHSAA) oversees boys’ activities and featured 83,415 participants while seeing an increase in participants in all 11 sanctioned sports. The Iowa Girls High School Athletic Union (IGHSAU) governs girls’ sports and had 62,315 participants for its 11 sports, topping 60,000 for the first time since 2008-09.
“The results of this year’s survey demonstrate the continued importance of education-based athletics to Iowa’s students, their parents, their schools, and their communities,” IHSAA executive director Tom Keating said. “To see an increase in participation, particularly when Iowa experienced a decrease in student enrollment, is a testament to the value of the programs our schools offer. We congratulate our administrators, coaches, and officials for their commitment to our young people through athletics.”
Iowa’s member schools reported a slight increase in boys’ participation across baseball, basketball, bowling, cross country, soccer, swimming, and tennis. Football led a strong growth category which included golf, track and field, and wrestling in 2025-26, with the four sports combining to jump up by more than 2,500 participants.
IHSAA football featured 19,383 participants – 17,702 in the 11-player classes, and 1,681 in eight-player – to mark its highest statewide total since 2015-16. Football remains the top sport for participation across the country with over one million boys listed in high school programs.
Nationally, girls participation grew 3.2 percent overall, with NFHS crediting significant jumps in girls’ flag football and wrestling. In Iowa, volleyball remains the top girls’ sport with 11,480 participants recorded across grades 9-12. Girls’ basketball (5,982 participants) saw its first increase over more than 100 participants for the first time since 2007-08, when the total topped 10,000.
The NFHS High School Athletics Participation Survey was started in 1971 and provides the most comprehensive national view of participation in high school sports. Participation totals represent participation entries by member schools, not necessarily unique students.
IHSAA has collected and submitted this historical data to NFHS. A free public Iowa-specific Participation Survey Book featuring both boys and girls numbers is available through the Records page.
IOWA HIGH SCHOOL SPORTS PARTICIPATION, 2025-26
| Sport | Boys Participation | Girls Participation |
| Baseball | 10,146 | – |
| Basketball | 10,394 | 5,982 |
| Bowling | 1,969 | 1,292 |
| Cross Country | 5,106 | 3,870 |
| Football | 19,383 | – |
| Golf | 5,906 | 3,566 |
| Soccer | 6,938 | 5,620 |
| Swimming | 1,262 | 1,326 |
| Tennis | 2,193 | 2,773 |
| Track & Field | 12,935 | 9,854 |
| Wrestling | 7,075 | 3,468 |
| Softball | – | 7,064 |
| Volleyball | – | 11,480 |
