WOODLAND HILLS—Pierce College, a community college based in Woodland Hills, announced on Tuesday, August 4, it will cancel its football season due to a lack of players. According to an official statement from Pierce College reads:
The announcement came weeks before the team was expected to play its first game. In an interview with the San Fernando Valley Sun, Sims said, “It’s really unfortunate, because there are so many kids that came from out of state. Think about it, how hard is it going to be for those kids to transfer when they’re stuck in a one-year apartment lease?”
Sims disputed the notion that the roster was too small, noting the team had 45 players before the cancellation. He pointed out that when he took over in 2022, the team had only 8 players and he built it up to 32, yet they still played a full season that year.
Sims said he was only made aware of the potential cancellation when one of his players asked him if the rumors were true. Following that exchange, he was pulled into a hallway and told by the athletic director that the season was over. He alleges the athletic director contacted other schools and told everyone else before informing him or the team.
For most players who signed up to be part of the team, it is too late to transfer to another program.
Pierce College is not the only college to cancel its season this year. Orange Coast College indefinitely suspended its program back in April, and a survey conducted by the California Interscholastic Federation found that 11-man high school football participation dropped 4 percent statewide last year.
By Milan Manesh