Narbonne football team banned from City Section playoffs for three years

The City Section announced Wednesday that the Narbonne High football team has been banned from the playoffs for the 2025, 2026 and 2027 seasons because of rule violations, and all the school’s sports programs have s been placed on probation through the 2027-28 school year. Narbonne also has to vacate its 2024 football title.

Narbonne’s football team was found to have ineligible players last season, but the revelation came after the playoff seedings had been announced, forcing the City Section to let the Gauchos compete. They won the Open Division championship. Now the punishment is being handed down.

The City Section determined that Narbonne violated CIF Bylaw 202 (Accurate Information) and CIF Bylaw 510 (Undue Influence, Pre-Enrollment Contact) during the football season. Narbonne also was punished for ineligible players in 2018 and 2019. Last fall a group of Marine League coaches sent a letter to the City Section alleging rule violations and refused to play the Gauchos in protest.

The City Section has told Narbonne it can appeal the postseason ban after the 2025-26 school year “depending upon the school’s documentation of successful compliance of all CIF bylaws.”

The school, which also had problems with forfeits in other sports, hired a new football coach in Doug Bledsoe, who has vowed to rebuild the program.