The dominoes in the Summit Athletic Conference mentioned earlier this week by Outside the Huddle are starting to fall.
On Friday morning, Carroll and Concordia made public their desire to schedule other teams in place of each other for the 2026 and 2027 seasons. That means that both need a Week 3 game in 2026 and a Week 8 game in 2027.
Per sources, the discussion arose due to the current struggles for Concordia, which has won a combined three games in the last three years. With a concern about numbers entering the fall, playing Carroll, which has beaten the Cadets by recent scores such as 52-7 in 2025, 51-0 in 2022 and 69-7 in 2021, is believed to not be conducive to the goal of rebuilding the program.
Meanwhile, Carroll looks at this as an opportunity to add an opponent that helps it prepare for the gauntlet of the Class 6A playoffs.
It is understood that both teams will be ineligible for the SAC regular-season championship due to not playing as many league games as the other eight teams.
If both teams cannot find a suitable opponent for either week this season or next, they will return to playing each other.
This is not without precedent. In 2003 and 2004, Snider and Elmhurst did not play despite both being in the SAC due to competitive imbalance. The Panthers played Huntington North in 2003 and Lafayette Jeff in 2004, while Elmhurst took on Coldwater (OH) and Lima Senior (OH).
Outside the Huddle has also learned that a similar arrangement could be imminent between Concordia and Homestead. The two teams are set to play Week 9 in 2026 and Week 7 in 2027.
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