Idk man. When you're in the blue conference, it's win and get out. Those kids know MP or Simeon would demolish them. The teams that pull together, win, and get promoted to the white accomplished something really cool, and now get to set their sights on making the state tournament. For a kid to start in the blue, win, get promoted, and make the state playoffs - that's a great run of success.
I agree that a lot of these kids need football more than it needs them, and I agree that playing on a Thursday afternoon is a bummer. But man, half of the teams in the blue couldn't even finish their season! Only THREE TEAMS in the blue played 9 games this season there were so many forfeits. At least on a Thursday in the blue, these kids get to run their offense, compete, complete a few passes, etc. If you catch a touchdown pass on Thursday night against Bogan, that's what you're talking about all weekend, not how the field didn't have lights!
If Tilden or Gage Park lines up against Lena-Winslow or Wilmington or Byron each week, they aren't going to gain a yard. Some of these blue teams can't afford to lose a few guys to injury. If you want to keep the kids involved at these programs that are really struggling, FIRST order of business is keeping them on the field and actually playing ball, not getting massacred 65 miles outside of Chicago for week after week, that's gonna have the opposite effect.
On the scheduling thing - only solution there is field fewer teams or build more fields, which helps more than just avoiding Thu games.