Texas high schools have new football and basketball districts under new boundaries released Monday by the University Interscholastic League.
The UIL realigns districts every two years based on enrollment figures, which can lead to shuffling of teams and a breakup of longtime district rivals.
UIL Realignment 2016
Football: 6A, 5A, 4A, 3A, 2A, 1A Six-Man
Basketball: 6A, 5A, 4A, 3A, 2A, 1A
The districts take effect starting with the 2016 high school football season.
Most schools already knew where they would play because the UIL announced enrollment cutoff figures in December, but the final announcement often still brings a few surprises.
Hundreds of coaches from across the region gathered at the Birdville ISD Athletic Complex in North Richland Hills on Monday morning.
When the new districts were posted the coaches, administrators and athletic directors got to work to schedule within the new districts. The changes are something coaches say they just have to deal with.
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"The Metroplex is a very competitive league, so it doesn’t matter," Southlake Carroll High School head coach Hal Wasson said. "You’re going to go in with some great teams and go play."
In North Texas there was some juggling of teams, as Weatherford went from playing Arlington schools to playing Keller schools. Class 6A, District 3 also features Abilene, which means there will be lots of travel ahead.
"We had to pick up and scramble for a game four with Midland and with Abilene in our district. We’re going to be road weary," said Keller High School head coach Carl Stralow.
There is one advantage to all of the travel: players should be used to long hauls if and when the playoffs come around.
"We've made the playoffs one time since we've been there. We'd like to do it every year," Stralow said. "But if you don't prepare them for it, the first time you get on a charter bus and go on a long trip, it's going to be a new experience."
The change of districts is an experience every two years for the schools and while it can sometimes be a bit stressful with scheduling for coaches, some admit it is a little bit fun.
"You're looking around and everybody is learning their fate on those exact same moments," said Arlington Martin High School coach Bob Wager. "And it's fun, a lot of fun."
A look at the enrollment figures and changes for each classification in Monday's biennial University Interscholastic League realignment:
CLASS 6A
Numbers: 2,150 students and above; 247 schools.
Up from Class 5A: Austin Ann Richards, Baytown Memorial, Edinburg Vela, EP Pebble Hills, FW Young Women's Leadership Academy, South Garland, Houston Spring Woods, Houston Stratford, Austin Vandegrift, Cedar Park Vista Ridge, Leander, Longview, Lufkin, Manor, McKinney, PSJA, Rockwall-Heath, Richmond George Ranch, San Marcos, Sheldon King, Fort Bend Bush, Fort Bend Ridge Point, Tyler, Wylie.
Elevated by request: Garland Naaman Forest.
CLASS 5A
Numbers: 1,100 to 2,149 students; 253 schools.
New schools: Alvin Shadow Creek, Denton Braswell, Houston Cypress Park, Rosenberg Fulshear.
Down from Class 6A: Amarillo, Austin High, Brownsville Lopez, Brownsville Veterans, Carrollton Turner, Colleyville Heritage, CC Carroll, CC King, CC Ray, Dallas Highland Park, Dallas Sunset, Denton Ryan, Houston Milby, Leander Rouse, Lubbock Coronado, Lubbock Monterey, Manvel, Midlothian, N Richland Hills Richland, Justin Northwest, Port Arthur Memorial.
Up from Class 4A: Justin Northwest Eaton, Frisco Reedy, Houston Furr, Houston Sterling, Splendora.
Elevated by request/policy: FW Dunbar.
CLASS 4A
Numbers: 480 to 1,099 students; 191 schools.
New schools: Frisco Lebanon Trail, McAllen IDEA College Preparatory, Leander Glenn, Judson Evans Road.
Down from Class 5A: Austin Eastside Memorial, Houston North Forest, Houston Yates, Livingston, Somerset, Terrell.
Up from Class 3A: Aransas Pass, Brownfield, Caddo Mills, Waxahachie Life, Denver City, FW Benbrook, Glen Rose, Hillsboro, Oak Cliff Faith Family Academy.
Elevated by request/policy: FW Academy of Fine Arts.
CLASS 3A
Numbers: 221 to 479 students; 221 schools.
New schools: Rice Challenge Academy, Cumberland Academy, Edinburg IDEA College Prep.
Down from Class 4A: Coldspring-Oakhurst, Dallas Madison, Dallas Triple A Academy, Groesbeck, Jourdanton, La Marque, Uplift Hampton Preparatory, Uplift Williams Prep, Uplift Summit International Prep, Yoakum.
Up from Class 2A: Anderson-Shiro, Beckville, Port Arthur Hope, Canadian. Como-Pickton, CC London, Dallas A-Plus Academy, Harleton, Euless Harmony Science Academy, Harmony School Of Nature And Athletics, SA IDEA Carver, Johnson City, Ore City, Schulenburg, Tolar.
Elevated by Request/Policy: SA IDEA Carver.
CLASS 2A
Numbers: 105 to 220 students; 203 schools.
Down from Class 3A: Deweyville, Freer, Linden-Kildare, Post, Sanford-Fritch, Tom Bean, Woden.
Up from Class 1A: Austin Texas School For The Blind, Burton, Campbell, Chireno, Crosbyton, Douglass, Gary, Mount Enterprise, Munday, North Zulch, Perrin-Whitt, Wink.
1A schools playing 11-man football: Baird, Bartlett, Booker, Bruni, Bronte, Burkeville, Cross Plains, D'Hanis, Leakey, Menard, Roby, Rocksprings, Runge, Shamrock, Springlake Earth.
Elevated by Request/Policy: San Isidro, San Perlita.
CLASS 1A
Numbers: 104.9 students and below; 202 basketball schools; 139 six-man football schools.
Down from Class 2A: Garland Alpha Charter, Bartlett, Booker, Bruni, Fruitvale, Martinsville, Shamrock, Slocum.
