UIL Realignment Shakes Up West Texas, Lands Plainview in Four-Team District, New 2A Program Joins the Mix

From unexpected football alignments to the addition of a brand-new program, UIL realignment delivered major changes for schools across the Lubbock region.

UIL Realignment in West Texas has come with a few surprises. / Ryan Isley, SBLive Sports

UIL realignment rarely comes without surprises, and Monday’s release delivered several major twists for schools across the Lubbock, Texas area — from unusual district alignments to the introduction of a brand-new football program.

Plainview Faces Scheduling Challenge in Four-Team District

Plainview football landed in a four-team district, but not the one many expected, according a report by the Lubbock Avalanche-Journal. Instead of heading north with other Panhandle schools, the Bulldogs were grouped south with Andrews, Midland Greenwood and San Angelo Lake View in Class 4A Division I.

While projections hinted this might happen, the logistical fallout has created a new challenge: there are no other four-team districts in the classification, meaning Plainview and its district peers now face difficulty filling a key open week in their schedules when most teams are in district play.

District officials discussed the possibility of playing each opponent twice, a format used in isolated districts elsewhere, but the idea was voted down due largely to travel concerns. With round trips like Plainview to San Angelo Lake View topping 430 miles, schools are now scrambling to find non-district opponents.

Pathway Academy Joins UIL, Reshapes 2A Landscape

One of the biggest surprises came in Class 2A, where Pathway Academy, a new charter school in Big Spring, officially joined the UIL and was placed into District 3-2A Division II alongside Crosbyton, Lockney, Ralls, Roscoe and Tahoka.

Pathway is entering its first year of existence and previously competed only at the junior varsity level, making its inclusion a notable development for area programs. Meanwhile, Ralls submitted enrollment numbers that drop the school to Class 1A in other sports, making it one of five Lubbock-area schools shifting classifications.

Coaches in the region see the new alignment as an opportunity for more competitive balance, especially for smaller programs that have struggled against much larger schools in recent cycles.

2A Division I District Grows Larger Than Expected

In 2A Division I, many expected an eight-team district made up largely of Lubbock-area schools. Instead, UIL formed a larger grouping that includes Farwell, Floydada, Hale Center, Olton, Tulia, Abernathy, New Deal, New Home, Post and Sundown.

The expanded district has left some programs searching for non-district games, particularly early in the season, as scheduling plans were built around expectations of a smaller league.

South Plains Lands State’s Only 10-Team Basketball and Volleyball District

Beyond football, UIL realignment produced the state’s only 10-team district for basketball, volleyball and other sports, centered in the South Plains and Panhandle.

District 3-5A lost Plainview but added Frenship and Frenship Memorial, creating a league that now includes Lubbock ISD, Lubbock-Cooper ISD and Amarillo ISD schools. The result is a massive district with heavy local competition but improved travel efficiency.

Girls basketball, in particular, is shaping up to be highly competitive, with several teams already ranked nationally across multiple classifications. The realignment also sets the stage for the first-ever district matchups between Frenship and Frenship Memorial.

As schools digest the new landscape, West Texas programs are adjusting to longer trips, new opponents and unexpected opportunities — a familiar theme whenever UIL realignment reshapes the map.