What The Proposed Football Realignment Means for WKY Schools

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High school football teams have until December 21 to offer their input on the proposed alignment for the 2023-26 seasons.

A draft released Monday by the Kentucky High School Athletic Association broke the teams down by enrollment in all six classes.  Schools will still be given the option to play up a class, but a request must be made and approved by the KHSAA.

The enrollment numbers were taken from the 2019-20 school year and the 2022-23 school year. Because enrollment numbers were not collected in 2020-21 and 2021-22 due to COVID-19, the 2022-23 enrollment numbers were doubled.

Here is a class-by-class breakdown of western Kentucky schools with the new enrollment numbers.

Class 1A

Ballard Memorial would drop to Class 1A and join Russellville, Fulton County, and Caverna in a likely district.  Crittenden County moves to Class 2A.

Class 2A

Crittenden County moves to Class 2A and could join a likely district with Mayfield, Murray, Fort Campbell, and Caldwell County.

However, Caldwell County could opt to play up into Class 3A and be placed into a district that could include Trigg County, Union County, Hopkins County Central, and Webster County – all schools that adjoin Caldwell for travel purposes except for Union County.

The choice to play up in class could offer Caldwell County an interesting scheduling opportunity for the next four years.

Owensboro Catholic, McLean County, Todd County Central, and Hancock County all remain in Class 2A, but Butler County bumps to Class 3A.

Class 3A

The most notable change in classes among Western Kentucky Conference schools would be the jump from Class 3A to 4A for Paducah Tilghman.

With Tilghman likely moving up, Hopkins County Central would drop to Class 3A and would likely join Trigg County, Union County, and Webster County in District 1.

However, Franklin-Simpson drops to 3A from 4A and Butler County moves up to Class 3A. They could be moved into District 2 with Edmonson County, Hart County, LaRue County, and Adair County. And Franklin-Simpson, who has had a Class 4A state championship in recent years, could choose to play up to 4A and hold on to some of their current district rivals.

Class 4A

Paducah Tilghman would move to Class 4A and flip with Hopkins County Central, who moves to Class 3A. Tilghman could join a district that would include Hopkinsville, Logan County, and Calloway County.   Madisonville would jump to Class 5A based on enrollment numbers.

The KHSAA must also factor in how to deal with Hopkinsville once they are combined with Christian County for the new Hopkinsville-Christian County Academy. Hopkinsville would vanish from the Class 4A district landscape.

Other teams in Class 4A that could comprise District 2 are Allen County-Scottsville, Breckinridge County, Warren East, and Russell County.  What Franklin-Simpson chooses to do could also affect the alignment.

Class 5A

Madisonville moves to Class 5A while Marshall County drops to Class 5A. Christian County would be placed in Class 6A in anticipation of the consolation of Hopkinsville High and Christian County High. When the combination of the schools happens, the new Hopkinsville-Christian County Academy would assume Christian County’s schedule.  Most contracts are signed in two-year cycles.

Past alignment of Class 5A has met with some consternation from schools, most notably Christian County which was placed into a district with Bowling Green schools despite other 5A schools being closer.

Based on the enrollment numbers, District 1 could be comprised of Graves County Madisonville, Muhlenberg County, Marshall County, and Owensboro.

District 2 could be made up of Warren Central, which moves up from 4A, Ohio County, Bowling Green, Greenwood, Grayson County, and Barren County, which drops from 6A.

Class 6A

Christian County and South Warren are both slated to move to Class 6A although South Warren would be the smallest 6A school and if a school opts to move up from 5A, South Warren could choose to remain in 5A.

Apollo, Daviess County, Henderson County, and McCracken County could join them in District 1.

With Barren County dropping to 5A, that leaves Meade County, North Hardin, and Central Hardin in District 2.

If South Warren stays in 6A, they could be placed in District 2. If South Warren drops to 5A, District 2 could be a three-team district.

 

The highest 32 enrollments are placed in Class 6A with the lowest 32 schools put in Class 1A. Classes 2A through 5A have 39 schools in each class.

Once the December 21 deadline has passed, the KHSAA will begin the process of placing teams into geographic districts.

The Board of Control will consider the 2023-26 draft alignment at the January 18 meeting. It will be finalized then or at the February 22 meeting.

HERE ARE THE ENROLLMENT NUMBERS AND PROPOSED FOOTBALL ALIGNMENT FOR 2023-26

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