BP, Hayfield to create football co-op for 2026

Pending Minnesota State High School League (MSHSL) board approval, Blooming Prairie and Hayfield High Schools will put their football rivalry to the side in 2026 and instead join forces as the Blooming Prairie-Hayfield co-op football team this coming fall. Hayfield Schools Superintendent Gregg Slaathaug made the information public with a post to Facebook around 3 p.m. last Tuesday.
“I wanted to share an important update regarding our football program for the upcoming school year. After many thoughtful discussions, Hayfield and Blooming Prairie have agreed to enter into a cooperative agreement for football for students in grades 7-12,” wrote Slaathaug in his post to the Hayfield Community Schools Facebook page.
The two teams join forces after program participation numbers have fluctuated in the past few seasons for both teams.
“The number one reason for this cooperative agreement is student safety. As participation numbers continue to fluctuate, it is our responsibility to provide a safe environment where students can compete, develop, and enjoy the game of football. Just as important, we want every student-athlete to have the opportunity to be part of a positive, competitive, and rewarding experience,” said Slaathaug.
Both teams have a storied history of going toe-to-toe on the gridiron, but Slaathaug doesn’t see the change interfering with either town’s football identity.
“I know this is a significant change, and I also know how much pride both communities have in their football traditions. Please know that this decision was not made quickly or lightly. Throughout this process, one priority remained above everything else-our students,” he said.
Details of the merger are unclear
More information is still to come about the co-op’s next steps before the coming school year.
One unknown is if the MSHSL will replace a team in Section 1A, or the Blooming Prairie-Hayfield team will have to move into a new section.
Blooming Prairie and Hayfield have traditionally competed against one another in the Section 1A tournament, but the combination of the two teams will leave the section missing a key competitor. The instant boost in class and roster size with a co-op leaves the team’s Class A status up in the air as well.
Blooming Prairie has jumped up and down from Class A and AA in recent years, making a reasonable case for the co-op to be sent back up to AA with its increased pool of players.
“Many details are still being finalized, and additional information will be shared with families as those decisions are made. At this time, we can share that the cooperative agreement will include grades 7-12. Practices and games will be hosted in both communities, uniforms will be shared, and each school will continue to celebrate its own homecoming and traditions. Our team will compete as the Blooming Prairie-Hayfield Football Team,” said Slaathaug.
According to Slaathaug, the co-op will last “for a minimum of two years.”
A similar co-operative model can currently be found in wrestling, which since 2019 has been a co-operative team between Blooming Prairie and Hayfield, falling under the Westfield Razorbacks title.
A helpful boost
Blooming Prairie and Hayfield both had subpar seasons for each program’s standards in 2025, finishing a combined 3-15.
The Awesome Blossoms wrapped up last season 2-7 with the Vikings going 1-8, largely in part to both teams suffering from a plethora of injuries and small rosters.
Each side had just 32 athletes on roster, and with multiple starters playing both ways, depth quickly became an issue when injuries began popping up.
With the merger, the team should be able to field upward of 50-60 players for the 2026 season, allowing the squad to account for potential losses as well as opening new opportunities for athletes to play one side of the ball to keep fresh legs on the field.
Despite only being 12 miles apart, the Blooming Prairie and Hayfield’s programs could not be any more different in the past few decades.
The Awesome Blossoms have created a storied program under head coach Chad Gimbel, and won the school its first-ever Class A state football championship in 2019.
In the years to follow, Blooming Prairie recorded six consecutive winning seasons before its streak was snapped in 2026.
During that same stretch, the Vikings have had seven straight losing seasons with a combined record of 12-46.
However, the co-op should come as a helpful boost to both teams who are looking to get back to earning wins in front of their home crowds.