Last Updated on July 18, 2026 4:13 pm
West Caldwell High School will not field a varsity football team during the 2026 season, the school announced Friday in a statement posted to its official Facebook page.
School and athletic officials cited an insufficient number of returning upperclassmen as the reason for the decision, saying they did not have enough players to safely compete at the varsity level. Rather than move underclassmen up to fill the roster, officials chose to protect the younger players from competing against fully grown athletes.
“We don't have enough of our upperclassmen returning to safely field a varsity team,” the school said in its statement. “And moving underclassmen up just to make a full roster isn't the best decision. We cannot send young players into games against fully grown athletes when we know it isn't safe for them. Their health and well-being come first — even when the answer is hard.”
West Caldwell will field a junior varsity team this fall. Varsity football is expected to return in 2027.
The school described the 2026 season as a reset year — an opportunity to stabilize the program, keep players safe, and build toward a stronger future. Officials said the decision was made jointly by the district, the school, and the athletic department, and grew out of ongoing conversations with community members.
“This decision wasn't made lightly or without feedback,” the statement read. “Our district, our school, and our athletic department made it together. It grew out of conversations many community members started with us. The community asked us to protect the Warriors and think about the long run, and that's what we're doing.”
The school also praised its varsity players for how they received the difficult news.
“It's important that we mention how proud we are of our varsity football players,” the statement said. “This news was tough to hear, but they have displayed a strength and maturity that only Warriors can. They are an important part of West Caldwell's ongoing athletic strategy, and they can be proud of that forever.”
The school closed its statement with a message to the community: “Football isn't going anywhere at West Caldwell. Stick with it this year. Fill the stands for our JV. Let's build the future of Warrior football together.”
