California High School Football Season Prepares for Action

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Students prepare for the upcoming California high school football season during practice.

News Summary

The California high school football season is approaching, with teams readying for practice and important match dates. The summer workout period has concluded, with a ‘dead period’ for on-campus activities before official practice begins. Grant High School’s challenging nonleague schedule and the activation of a football transfer tracker add to the anticipation. As teams gear up for an exciting season with key matchups, coverage continues to expand, providing fans and athletes with essential insights.

Sacramento — The California high school football season is gearing up for an exciting 2025 campaign, with teams finalizing preparations as practice officially begins. The California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) has set key dates for upcoming activities, including a blend of conditioning, scrimmages, and the start of matches.

The summer workout period, which featured 7-on-7 leagues, camps, and various training sessions, has concluded. Schools will observe a “dead period” from July 1-14, during which no on-campus workouts or interactions between coaches and athletes are permitted. Following this, limited participation in conditioning and drills will be allowed from July 15-27, though full contact and equipment will not be permitted until practices commence.

The official start of football practice is scheduled for July 28, 2025. Intrasquad scrimmages for teams will take place on August 8, followed by game-like scrimmages against other programs on August 15-16. The first games of the season will kick off shortly thereafter, with Grant High School facing Folsom in a high-profile matchup on August 22.

Grant High School has an intense nonleague schedule ahead. In addition to their season opener against Folsom, they will also host De La Salle of Concord on September 19, a highly anticipated rematch after De La Salle won last year’s encounter. Other nonleague games include matchups against Central on August 29, Cardinal Newman on September 5, and Clovis East on September 12. Grant’s challenging schedule culminates with a game against last year’s CIF state champion Lincoln in San Diego on September 27.

Due to the forfeits by Kennedy and McClatchy high schools, which expressed their need to develop their programs, Grant will not face them this season and will compete in six nonleague contests instead. They will also participate in the Metro League, facing teams such as Antelope, Destiny Christian of Sacramento, and West Park of Roseville throughout the season.

Folsom, another prominent program in the state, has their schedule set as well. They are slated to face Serra on August 30 and Mission Viejo on September 5, contributing to the growing competition within California high school football.

In an effort to manage player movements, the CIF Southern Section and City Section football transfer tracker has been activated as the season approaches. Last year, over 17,000 football transfers were recorded in California, with eligibility rules in place for athletes based on family relocations. For players transferring within the City Section, the eligibility date is established as September 25, 2025, while the eligibility date for transfers within the Southern Section falls on September 29.

Several notable player transfers have occurred ahead of the season. Among these is running back Luke Fahey from Mission Viejo, who has committed to Ohio State. Additionally, various players are making moves between multiple schools and positions, with significant transfers reported from institutions like Loyola and St. Bonaventure.

As the high school sports landscape evolves, coverage of these activities continues to expand, providing fans, athletes, and coaches with deeper insights into the dynamic world of football at the high school level. With the significant operational changes amidst the CIF framework and the excitement surrounding individual teams, the 2025 California high school football season promises to be an electrifying one.