Kamehameha, Punahou and Saint Louis see the nonsense in just knocking each other around over and over again.

The three powerhouse Interscholastic League of Honolulu football schools are looking at ideas that include playing multiple games against mainland opponents, including more out-of-state road games, as early as the 2018 season.

The reason for this is the current ILH format, which has those three teams that comprise the Oahu private school league’s Division I playing each other as many as three or even four times in the upcoming season.

“A three-team league isn’t good for anyone,” Saint Louis coach Cal Lee said.

Lee and others say what they really want is what most want: an Oahu high school football league that combines the public and private schools.

That way, there can be three classifications. The ILH powers can play with the Oahu Interscholastic Association’s top programs and the schools with the least established programs can compete against each other in Division III instead of eunduring blowout losses and forfeits.

“We’re hoping that we have a chance to merge with the OIA,” Punahou coach and athletic director Kale Ane said. “Having three teams is not ideal. Looking at the future, if things don’t work out then (an expanded mainland schedule) is something we’re going to have to think about.”

Saint Louis director of athletics June Jones said the goal is not just to benefit the ILH’s Big Three.

“We’re looking and seeing what we can possibly do, that will be for all of the schools,” said Jones, the former University of Hawaii head coach who was offensive coordinator at Kapolei last year. “The thing that kind of concerned me the most is Radford and Nanakuli, two years ago they’re doing well (in OIA Division II) and someone makes the decision to move them up and then (Radford scores) one offensive touchdown all season and they go 0-8. It doesn’t make any sense for anybody.”

Nanakuli also went 0-8, losing most games by blowout scores.

The Hawaii High School Athletic Association implemented a three-division format for last year’s state championships.

A three-tier system combining the leagues for the regular season was proposed last year but was blocked by the OIA.

There is some support from the OIA, but some believe the playing field is tilted in the ILH’s favor because of more abundant resources and the ability to recruit players. However, OIA teams (Kahuku and Mililani) have won two of the past three highest-level state football championships and four of the past six.

Three levels of classification instead of two and combining the leagues are not new ideas. For a while in the 1980s and ’90s the OIA had Red, White and Blue divisions. The OIA athletic directors voted against a similar proposal this offseason.

What happens if the OIA continues to hold its ground?

“You can’t just sit here and wait for teams to join up,” Lee said. “If the public schools don’t want to combine, what are you going to do, just suffer through it?”

There are plenty of top-caliber teams in California and elsewhere that would like to play the best of the Hawaii private schools. But there are many other questions, including:

>> If this entails the big three bolting the ILH the ramifications would be huge. How would that affect other sports? What about eligibility for the state tournament?

>> How much school would players miss due to mainland road trips?

>> How would such a venture be funded?

Jones has met with leaders from all three schools to discuss the challenges of such an out-of-the-box idea. And he’s careful to insist that this is still an idea — but one he believes is doable.

“We all understand there are a lot of issues and obviously there are things we’d have to address. We want to look at all the options and do what are the best things for the kids. The way things are headed now I don’t think it benefits the ILH or the OIA,” Jones said.

“We’re in the process of analyzing all of that, and we will take the time to do it. It’s all talk for now, but there’s a whole bunch of schools that have the same issues we do of getting games.”

Kamehameha coach Abu Ma’afala said he is also for “what is in the best interest of the student-athletes.”

“As long as it meets that requirement the rest will work itself out,” he said.

The Kauai Interscholastic Federation has survived with a three-team football league for generations. But that has been out of necessity since there have always been just three football-playing schools on the island.

There are more than 30 on Oahu. And — as has been said many times before — there’s no good reason why the three upper echelon ILH schools shouldn’t be playing the top six or seven in the OIA each year in the regular season.

Reach Dave Reardon at dreardon@staradvertiser.com or 529-4783. His blog is at Hawaiiwarriorworld.com/quick-reads.