NCHSAA Announces Historic Shift to Eight-Class Football System for 2025-2026 School Year

The city of Raleigh is buzzing with anticipation as the North Carolina High School Athletic Association (NCHSAA) has announced significant changes to its athletic classifications. With the upcoming realignment set to take effect in the 2025-2026 school year, schools across the state are gearing up for a new competitive landscape.

On Tuesday, the NCHSAA released the final average daily membership (ADM) numbers, which are crucial for determining how schools will be placed in different classifications. The ADM number reflects the average attendance over the first 20 days of the school year, and these figures play a major role in the classification process.

For the first time, the NCHSAA is expanding its classifications from four to eight. This decision comes after member schools voted to limit the number of schools in a single classification to no more than 64. The largest classification, known as 8A, will consist of the 32 largest schools in the state, also referred to as the “Big 32”. The remaining seven classifications will be filled based on the size of the schools, with larger schools moving into higher classifications and smaller schools into lower ones.

Commissioner Que Tucker of the NCHSAA expressed excitement about entering a new era of sports in North Carolina. In her statement, she highlighted that the NCHSAA staff will be working on a proposed conference alignment in the coming weeks, which will then be scrutinized by the Realignment Committee.

The decision to gather ADM numbers marks a change from previous years where data was typically collected from the Department of Public Instruction. This year, the NCHSAA took on the responsibility themselves, facing challenges due to Hurricane Helene’s impact.

With these changes on the horizon, athletics in North Carolina are poised for a transformative shift. Schools and their athletes are now looking ahead with hopes of what this new classification system will bring.