Escanaba junior Nolan Bink (4, white jersey) breaks free to tackles during a game against Gladstone on Oct. 25, 2024 at Marble Athletic Field in Gladstone. ("The Big Dog" Mitch Vosburg/Daily Press)

EAST LANSING – Michigan High School Athletic Association member high schools reported a combined participation of 275,684 athletes in MHSAA-sponsored tournament sports during the 2024-25 school year.

This is the highest number of participants in those activities since 2018-19. It also comes despite another decrease in combined enrollment across those 754 schools.

This past year’s participation total was 5,020 students, 1.9% higher than in 2023-24, while enrollment at member schools fell by 1.3%. Boys participation was up 1.9% to 161,329 – also its highest since 2018-19 – and girls participation was up 1.8% to 114,355, its highest count since 2019-20. MHSAA participation totals count students once for each sport in which they participate, meaning students who are multiple-sport athletes are counted more than once.

Two sports set participation records during 2024-25. Boys track & field counted 24,759 participants, surging to a 3.7% increase from a year ago in breaking its previous record from 2005-06. Girls lacrosse participation was up 0.9% from last year to 3,970 participants, setting a record for the second-straight season.

Another 15 sports saw participation increases this past school year. Girls tennis saw an increase of 6.4% to 9,485 athletes, followed by boys and girls wrestling’s combined increase of 5.2% to 12,422 participants. Boys wrestling participation shot up 3% and girls up an incredible 24% to 1,505 athletes. Girls track & field (18,108 athletes) and boys cross country (8,209) also saw some of the largest jumps at 4.5% and 4.1%, respectively.

Also reporting increased participation during 2024-25 were boys tennis (3.7%, 6,163 total athletes), football (3%, 36,210), girls volleyball (2.9%, 19,679), boys golf (2.7%, 7,416), girls competitive cheer (2.4%, 6,319), boys basketball (1.7%, 20,541), girls cross country (1.4%, 6,826), boys soccer (1.1%, 14,112), boys bowling (1%, 4,333), boys swimming & diving (0.9%, 4,073), and girls soccer (0.7%, 11,090).

Although 11 sports saw participation decreases during 2024-25 from the previous school year, those for girls basketball (-0.4%) and boys ice hockey (-0.7%) were lower than the 1.3-percent enrollment decline at MHSAA member schools.

Football remains the most popular sport in terms of participation at MHSAA member high schools, with that total of 36,210 athletes, its highest since 2017-18. Girls volleyball remained the most popular girls sport in 2024-25, with its 19,679 athletes, the highest total since 2012-13.