The NCHSAA Reveals The Second Draft of Its 2025-29 Realignment Plan

Super Conferences would be created with teams from as many as three different classifications

Grimsley won the 2024 4-A football state championship. In the new realignment, the Whirlies will be in Class 7-A. / Grimsley Football Instagram

The North Carolina High School Athletic Association has released the second draft of the organization’s 2025-29 realignment.

Big changes are coming with the NCHSAA doubling its number of classifications from four to eight.

The NCHSAA opted for a “Big 32” model in which the 32 largest schools would comprise Class 8-A. 

In the first draft released in December, there were 59 schools in 2-A, 3-A, 4-A, 5-A, 6-A and 7-A. Class 1-A had 58 schools. The second draft had 1-A with 57 schools. The numbers in the other classifications remained the same.

There are plenty of split conferences, including six that have schools from three classifications.

 In the second draft there was a 13-team 1-A/2-A conference with Cherokee (2-A), Hayesville (2-A), Murphy (2-A), Swain County (2-A), Andrews (1-A), Blue Ridge Early College (1-A), Highlands (1-A), Hiwassee Dam (1-A), Nantahala (1-A), Robbinsville (1-A), Rosman (1-A), Summit Charter (1-A) and Tri-County Early College (1-A).

One proposed 4-A/5-A conference has 11 schools – Brevard (4-A), East Henderson (4-A), Tuscola (4-A), Pisgah (4-A), Enka (5-A), Erwin (5-A), Franklin (5-A), North Buncombe (5-A), North Henderson (5-A), Smoky Mountain (5-A) and West Henderson (5-A).

Schools have until Jan. 28 to respond to the latest draft and the realignment committee meets again in Chapel Hill on Feb. 3-4. Realignment is expected to be finalized in the spring and takes effect for the 2025-26 school year.

Much is left to be decided, especially regarding the state playoffs. The NCHSAA’s bylaws committee has recommended that 8-A have 24-28 teams in the playoffs. Class 1-A would have 16 teams. The other six classifications would have 32 playoff teams.

Eight is the most classifications the NCHSAA has had in its existence. There was a long period of when the football playoffs were subdivided, creating eight state championships for football.