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The Port Jefferson High School varsity football season is already over — before the Royals even stepped on the field.
Port Jefferson does not have enough players to field a varsity team this fall, Section XI Executive Director Tom Combs confirmed to Greater Long Island on Thursday.
As a result, all eight of the Royals’ scheduled games will be recorded as forfeits.
New York state rules require varsity football teams to have at least 16 players on their rosters. Port Jefferson currently has fewer than 12.
The news comes just over a week before the Royals, who went winless in 2025, were scheduled to open their season Friday, Sept. 4, against Center Moriches. The varsity football season officially began Aug. 17, with Port Jefferson inviting students from all grades to participate; the Royals had been scheduled to participate in a five-team scrimmage Friday in Deer Park.
A school district official said the team this spring had 25 players signed up to play in the fall, but the roster dwindled ahead of the season. Among the departures was a quarterback who transferred to St. Anthony’s.
Losing that player, the district official told Greater Long Island, discouraged other players from showing up for tryouts. That student is playing JV at St. Anthony’s and is no longer a quarterback, GLI has learned.
As recently as last week, Port Jefferson participated in Suffolk County football’s annual Media Day.
There was also a last-ditch effort to keep Port Jefferson’s players on the field this fall.
Combs told GLI late Thursday afternoon that officials explored allowing Port Jefferson players to join Rocky Point’s varsity team for the season.
But the proposal came with a significant catch for the Eagles: Rocky Point would have had to give up its eligibility for the postseason.
Rocky Point declined.
According to Combs, Section XI rules require schools looking to combine football programs to declare those plans by February, before teams are placed into divisions for the upcoming season.
“This is done in part to prevent a team from gaining an unexpected advantage by adding a large number of players after teams have already been placed into divisions,” Combs said. “We don’t like telling kids they cant play, but we have to keep it fair for everyone.”
Port Jefferson becomes the latest Long Island football program to run into roster issues.
Last month, Holy Trinity High School in Hicksville announced it was suspending its varsity football program for two seasons in an effort to rebuild. The school plans to bring back its junior varsity program in 2027.
Southampton was forced to cancel its varsity football season in 2025 just days before its opener because of a lack of players. Greenport/Southold/Mattituck also canceled its 2025 season for the same reason.
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