Talking to an AD from a perennial powerhouse a couple weeks ago, he mentioned at an AD meeting he attended that participation in football in Nebraska has dropped by over 20%, almost 30%, in the last 5 years. Part of it because the game is dangerous, another part because of a rise in "bullying" prevention. A lot of younger kids felt pressured to go out, and now schools are more likely to squash any type of bullying and name calling for those who don't play. So saying that if your school has 50 boys and half of them go out is even a stretch anymore.