BUTLER TWP — The Butler Area High School varsity football program has been accepted as an associate member of District 10 for the 2020 season.

The District 10 Football Committee met Wednesday and voted to allow Butler to join its district in football only.

“The vote was unanimous,” District 10 Football Committee Chairman Pete Iacino said.

He added that the Golden Tornado will be the district's lone associate member and will be eligible for the district playoffs. DuBois has been an associate member in recent years, but not this upcoming season.

District 10 will have three Class 6A teams next season: Butler, Erie High School and McDowell.

“With only two 6A teams in the past, they would play each other to determine who moves on in the postseason,” Iacino said. “Now that we have a third team in that classification, we have yet to decide on the playoff format.”

Butler athletic director Bill Mylan was not surprised the Golden Tornado got voted in.

“The only thing delaying it from District 10's side was how District 7 (WPIAL) would feel about it,” Mylan said. “(WPIAL executive director) Tim O'Malley sent them a letter explaining the situation, and I think that helped us get in.”

District 10 will provide Butler with at least five opponents. Erie High and McDowell are two of them. Class 5A Oil City and Class 4A Cathedral Prep likely will be two of the others, Mylan said.

Butler already has football commitments from Kiski Area (Week Zero), Hollidaysburg, Brashear and Westinghouse for the 2020 season.

“We should have no trouble putting together a nine or 10-game schedule now,” Mylan said.

Butler football coach Eric Christy said the District 10 decision is another positive step for the growth of the program.

“The question among a lot of the kids was the possibility of playoffs,” Christy said. “Now it's out there; it's available to them. But we still have to put the work in to make it happen.

“There's a lot of good football teams up north, but at least we've got a shot at postseason and that's exciting for our football program and the community.”