UIL Realignment: School classification changes announced
RICHLAND HILLS, Texas - It was a busy morning for high school athletic departments across Texas as they found out where they landed in the UIL realignment.
Coaches gathered at the Birdville ISD athletic complex and other places across the state on Thursday to hear which district and classification their schools will be in for the next two years.
UIL Realignment: New Schools & Classification Changes
LINK: UIL Realignment Full List and Maps
The University Interscholastic League, the body that governs high school athletics in Texas, makes realignments every two years to account for changes in enrollment.
The new school groupings have a big impact on high school football in particular.
Among the highlights in North Texas, DeSoto High School remains in Class 6A despite losing more than 600 students and being eligible to be in 5A. It is the reigning 6A champion in football.
And five-time state champion Allen High School is now in a 6A district with three Plano ISD schools, as well as others from Collin County.
Once the realignments were announced at 9 a.m., coaches immediately began negotiating to set their schedules for the upcoming season.
The realignment can also affect a district’s budget because of the changes in transportation costs depending on how far teams have to travel for games.