NCHSAA’s bump up to 7 classifications nearly official

The North Carolina High School Athletic Association (NCHSAA) may be adding as many as three new classifications beginning in the 2025-26 school year.

NCHSAA member schools last week voted on an amendment to alter the bylaw referring to how statewide classifications are divided. The amendment passed, with more than 75 percent of member schools voting in favor.

The NCHSAA currently has four classifications, a number that has not changed since 1969-70. The move in a couple years would increase that number drastically to seven, with a cap of 64 teams per classification.

“We’ve been at four classes for a really long time,” said Casey Rogers, Burke County Public Schools’ countywide athletic director. “And we’ve had multiple state titles in football for each class for what 15, 20 years during part of that time, so we basically were at eight classes in that sport.

“I feel like the move up in the number of classes is long overdue. I’ve thought for several years now that I would like to see more than four. … I don’t know if seven is exactly the right number, but I would rather take the chance at seven than remain at four.”

The NCHSAA expanded from two to three classes in 1947 and from three to four classes in ’69. That was the last jump, and it came 54 years and nearly 150 statewide high schools ago.

A comparison to surrounding states illustrates how far behind North Carolina is. There are 432 NCHSAA member institutions this school year split among the four classes.

Georgia’s chief prep association has 457 schools split into seven classes. In South Carolina, 220 high schools are split five ways. Virginia has 300-plus schools spread over six classes, and Tennessee’s 374 schools are also split six ways.

The most recent push for the NCHSAA to add a fifth class had come prior to the realignment process in 2019-20, when it was shot down in a close vote.

But even with member schools recently OK-ing the move from four to seven classes, it’s not a done deal yet. 

There’s a current bill in the N.C. General Assembly, SB 636, that seeks to limit the NCHSAA to its four current classes while also shifting all charter and parochial schools – which are not bound by district lines like public schools are –  up by one class.

It’s unclear if or when the bill may pass, and even if it does, whether any of the wording could be altered. 

One thing Rogers said he likes about the bill is its wording surrounding non-public schools. In addition, he said he particularly likes part of the NCHSAA’s amendment, which also includes a change in how schools are split into classifications.

The amendment would push the NCHSAA away from its current formula – in which average daily membership (ADM) represents only one of three parts – and back to ADM numbers being the sole factor to determine which schools go into which classes. He says the move would add clarity that schools long for in what can be a stressful and at times confusing realignment process.

Rogers said one of the biggest benefits for the move that he foresees statewide would be that more schools, and thus more communities, would be involved in lengthy state playoff runs.

He also mentioned that large gaps of 1,000 or students that currently exist between the smallest schools and largest schools in a conference – or even between two schools competing in the same class in the state playoffs – would shrink significantly, allowing for a more fair playing field.

“This should make things more competitive,” Rogers said. “I hope and think this could generate more fan interest across the state with more schools having a legitimate opportunity to advance further in the playoffs and compete for state titles.”

One of the first questions if the move to seven classes is finalized would be whether split conferences remain intact. 

The NCHSAA has attempted to push away from split conferences in recent years. But with each new class expected to contain between 30 and 32 schools both in the East and West, dividing them into roughly four groups of eight would in most cases add significantly to travel.

Rogers said he assumes split conferences would remain in place.

“Geography and travel considerations have to be involved,” he noted.

In Burke County’s case, travel practically couldn’t be any worse than it is now. The four county schools were split into four different conferences in the NCHSAA alignment that started in 2021-22 and runs through the 2024-25 school year.

That’s despite the county schools having been divided into just two conferences from 2009-2021, and despite their current classifications being conducive to remaining split just two ways.

Rogers, who was not in his current role with BCPS during the last realignment, said at the end of the day, his focus is not statewide but countywide.

“For our county, what I think is obviously best is for our four schools not branching off different ways into four conferences. So anything that helps push us toward that is something I can get behind,” he said. 

“If more of our schools are in the same leagues, you get so many added benefits. You have more matchups later in the season where conference standings are at stake, travel in theory decreases, you have more nonconference flexibility. That could mean setting up a game close to home against a Catawba or Caldwell county team, or it could mean a coach saying, we have a chance to be really good this year, maybe I should add that nonconference game with a school in Charlotte.” 

The NCHSAA is expected to announce more details at its annual spring meetings on May 2-3.