Which Northern Kentucky football teams could be in different classes after realignment?
District schedules and postseason brackets could look much different for Northern Kentucky high school football fans based on school enrollment figures released by the Kentucky High School Athletic Association on Monday.
The KHSAA began the process of realigning football classes and districts that will take effect next season through the 2026 season. In a letter sent to all schools this week, the association released a preliminary draft of enrollment numbers and which of the six classes each football team would be in.
In this process, they doubled enrollment figures for this current school year since enrollment was not collected in the previous two school years due to the pandemic.
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Schools have until Dec. 21 to request to the KHSAA that they move up a class, or to declare they will not participate in playoff competition.
Which NKY high school football teams will be affected by KHSAA realignment?
The requests and realignment, in general, will be the focus of a KHSAA Board of Control meeting Jan. 18, 2023. The KHSAA intends to have the realignment completed at this meeting or no later than its next one on Feb. 22, 2023.
Across the state, 32 teams would move up at least one class from where they are now, and 29 would move down.
According to the draft numbers, there would be several changes in Northern Kentucky.
In the draft, Dixie Heights moves down to Class 5A for next season and Scott will move up to 5A from 4A, making six local teams counting incumbents Boone County, Conner, Cooper and Highlands. Dixie is the top school in enrollment among 5A teams.
That list does not include Covington Catholic, a two-time 5A state champion whose enrollment puts them in 4A in the draft. Highlands has the second-lowest enrollment in Class 5A and could get the opportunity to move down to 4A to replace teams that request to be placed in 5A.
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There are similar shifts in the smaller-school classes. Lloyd Memorial has moved up to 3A, where the Juggernauts will be the only local team along with Pendleton County.
Holy Cross and Newport would move down to 1A, joining five local schools who played there this season, including district champions Bishop Brossart and Newport Central Catholic.
In the draft, three-time reigning Class 2A state champion Beechwood would be one of only three local schools left in 2A, including district champion Walton-Verona and Gallatin County.
Also in the draft, St. Henry is classified as a Class 2A school as it plans to have varsity football for the 2026 season but won't be placed in a district until then.
Where will each Northern Kentucky high school football team end up in alignment?
Here is where each team would end up in alignment based on the enrollment numbers.
Class 6A: Campbell County, Simon Kenton, Ryle
Class 5A: Boone County, Conner, Cooper, Dixie Heights, Highlands, Scott.
Class 4A: Covington Catholic, Grant County, Holmes.
Class 3A: Lloyd Memorial, Pendleton County.
Class 2A: Beechwood, Gallatin, Walton-Verona.
Class 1A: Bellevue, Bishop Brossart, Dayton, Holy Cross, Ludlow, Newport, Newport Central Catholic.
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: KHSAA realignment could mean change for several local football teams
