KHSAA releases draft football classification for next season

The Kentucky High School Athletic Association has released its classification plans for the upcoming football realignment for 2023 through 2026 seasons. Press release on July 25th on how the classification and redistricting process works.

At the bottom of the article is a full table with all teams and their rank based on enrollment with their old/proposed class.

Now that the enrollment reports are complete, the KHSAA will get feedback from member schools on who would like to play up a class.

Notable changes:
Frederick Douglass – 5A to 6A
Great Crossing – 5A to 6A
Dixie Heights – 6A to 5A
Covington Catholic – 5A to 4A
Scott – 4A to 5A
Mason County – 3A to 4A
Greenup County – 3A to 4A
Ashland – 3A to 4A
Bourbon County – 4A to 3A
Lloyd Memorial – 2A to 3A
Belfry – 3A to 2A
St. Henry to start in 2A in 25-26
Bracken County – 1A to 2A
Newport – 2A to 1A
Cov. Holy Cross – 2A to 1A
Trimble County – 2A to 1A

For the record, these are the seven schools that "played up" for 2019-22 football seasons:

Trimble County (A to 2A)
Central (3A to 4A)
Boyle County (3A to 4A)
East Jessamine (4A to 5A)
Highlands (4A to 5A)
Western (4A to 5A)
Barren County (5A to 6A)

— Jason Frakes (@kyhighs) December 6, 2022

Now the fun and speculation begin on who will elect to play up, creating a domino effect of “what ifs”. Some questions to think about:

Will Covington Catholic elect to play up to 5A to be with Highlands, Scott, Conner, Cooper, Boone County, and Dixie Heights in NKY?

Will Dixie Heights elect to stay in 6A with Simon Kenton, Ryle, and Campbell County?

With Scott moving to 5A, Holmes is now the only 4A school in NKY, do they stay in the huge geographical district with Harrison, Boyd, and Rowan?

With Ashland, Boyd, Greenup, and Rowan in 4A, does that form the district? Or will new 4A Mason County be thrown into the mix?

How will you divide the district with Fleming, Russell, Lewis, Magoffin, Estill, East Carter and Powell all in 3A and somewhat close together?

With Beechwood’s entire 2A district of Lloyd, Cov. Holy Cross, and Newport now gone, where do they go? The closest would be Walton-Verona, Carroll, and now 2A Bracken County.

With Newport and Cov. Holy Cross going down to 1A, will that break Bishop Brossart away from their current district with Bracken, Paris, and Nicholas?

Will someone in 1A elect to play up or drop their program so Bracken County can remain in 1A? (Like Trimble County)

With 1A Lexington Sayre being formally included in the alignment, do they get included in a district with Frankfort, Eminence, and Berea? Or do they get put with Paris, Nicholas, and maybe Brossart or Bracken?

View the current KHSAA Alignment here.

Classification based on enrollment:

Rank	Team Name	Old	New	Average Boys	Change in Boys Enrollment
1	Lafayette	6A	6A	1192.3	65
2	Trinity (Louisville)	6A	6A	1179.7	-20
3	St. Xavier	6A	6A	1150.3	-181
4	Eastern	6A	6A	1127	-48
5	Madison Central	6A	6A	1085.7	118
6	Henry Clay	6A	6A	1045.3	-52
7	Ryle	6A	6A	1015	60
8	Paul Laurence Dunbar	6A	6A	1006.3	-13
9	McCracken County	6A	6A	994.7	1
10	Henderson County	6A	6A	989.3	-10
11	Ballard	6A	6A	975.3	65
12	Central Hardin	6A	6A	955.7	25
13	Fern Creek	6A	6A	937.7	-35
14	Male	6A	6A	928.3	-28
15	Simon Kenton	6A	6A	923.3	23
16	Tates Creek	6A	6A	912	75
17	Bryan Station	6A	6A	910	138
18	Daviess County	6A	6A	894.3	-40
19	Oldham County	6A	6A	865	21
20	Great Crossing	5A	6A	843.7	175
21	North Hardin	6A	6A	839.7	61
22	George Rogers Clark	6A	6A	833.7	43
23	DuPont Manual	6A	6A	819	51
24	Frederick Douglass	5A	6A	804.3	143
25	Meade County	6A	6A	800	-21
26	Southern	6A	6A	786.3	74
27	Bullitt East	6A	6A	780.7	82
28	Pleasure Ridge Park	6A	6A	776.7	-29
29	Campbell County	6A	6A	771.3	65
30	Apollo	6A	6A	765.3	2
31	South Warren	5A	6A	754	57
	5A
32	Dixie Heights	6A	5A	737.3	-7
33	Cooper	5A	5A	731.7	4
34	Conner	5A	5A	721	-18
35	Fairdale	5A	5A	719.3	68
36	Butler	6A	5A	717.3	-115
37	Barren County	6A	5A	692.7	73
38	Boone County	5A	5A	688.7	-59
39	Bullitt Central	5A	5A	688	48
40	Owensboro	5A	5A	686.7	40
41	South Oldham	5A	5A	682.7	-14
42	Greenwood	5A	5A	682	21
43	Moore	4A	5A	679.3	47
44	North Laurel	5A	5A	679	-75
45	Grayson County	5A	5A	678	3
46	Southwestern	5A	5A	677.7	-26
47	Montgomery County	5A	5A	672.7	-11
48	Atherton	5A	5A	667.3	59
49	Bowling Green	5A	5A	660	39
50	Marshall County	6A	5A	655.3	-28
51	Seneca	5A	5A	653	78
52	Woodford County	5A	5A	650.3	23
53	Christian County	5A	6A	643	-33
54	West Jessamine	5A	5A	630.3	47
55	Muhlenberg County	5A	5A	624.3	-19
56	Collins	5A	5A	623.3	-28
57	Pulaski County	5A	5A	614.3	-46
58	Iroquois	5A	5A	613.7	-77
59	Ohio County	5A	5A	606.7	-2
60	Madison Southern	5A	5A	606.3	-22
61	Scott County	5A	5A	603	-15
62	Anderson County	4A	5A	600	63
63	North Bullitt	5A	5A	597	-6
64	South Laurel	5A	5A	590.7	-62
65	East Jessamine	5A	5A	583	21
66	Scott	4A	5A	578.3	29
67	Madisonville‐North Hopkins	4A	5A	571	75
68	Graves County	5A	5A	565.7	-35
69	Warren Central	4A	5A	538.7	25
70	Highlands	5A	5A	532.3	44
71	Harlan County	4A	5A	527	-21
	4A
72	Whitley County	5A	4A	524.3	44
73	Spencer County	4A	4A	523.3	26
74	North Oldham	4A	4A	522.7	-5
75	Lincoln County	4A	4A	519.3	-16
76	Grant County	5A	4A	517.3	2
77	Doss	5A	4A	515	-51
78	Warren East	4A	4A	508.3	68
79	Rowan County	4A	4A	506	54
79	Jeffersontown	5A	4A	506	-36
81	Shelby County	4A	4A	505.7	4
82	Johnson Central	4A	4A	505	-108
83	Hopkinsville	4A	4A	503	-33
84	Logan County	4A	4A	499	3
85	Covington Catholic	5A	4A	495	-75
86	Franklin County	4A	4A	489.3	74
87	Valley	4A	4A	476	108
88	Wayne County	4A	4A	475	-42
89	Holmes	4A	4A	465.3	32
90	Perry County Central	4A	4A	461.7	13
91	Breckinridge County	5A	4A	459	-15
92	Boyle County	4A	4A	458.7	10
93	Western	5A	4A	457	114
94	Boyd County	4A	4A	456.3	-19
95	Harrison County	4A	4A	455	6
96	Ashland Blazer	3A	4A	454.7	10
97	Corbin	4A	4A	453.7	-17
98	Allen County‐Scottsville	4A	4A	453.3	-22
99	Paducah Tilghman	3A	4A	452.3	11
100	Calloway County	4A	4A	451.7	-20
101	Waggener	4A	4A	447.3	-37
102	Letcher County Central	4A	4A	436.3	-43
103	Russell County	4A	4A	428	-33
104	Mason County	3A	4A	427	48
105	Taylor County	3A	4A	424	9
106	Greenup County	3A	4A	422.3	-28
107	Western Hills	3A	4A	420.3	2
108	Nelson County	3A	4A	419.7	49
109	Elizabethtown	3A	4A	415.7	40
110	John Hardin	4A	4A	414	9
	3A
111	Adair County	3A	3A	410.3	-10
112	Franklin‐Simpson	4A	3A	406	48
113	Hopkins County Central	4A	3A	404	-42
114	Rockcastle County	3A	3A	400.3	-31
115	Garrard County	3A	3A	399.7	40
116	Bourbon County	4A	3A	399.3	-22
117	Mercer County	3A	3A	397.7	-17
118	Central	4A	3A	393.3	-1
119	Clay County	4A	3A	388.7	-59
120	McCreary Central	3A	3A	388.3	-43
121	Lexington Catholic	4A	3A	386.7	-71
122	East Carter	3A	3A	383.3	11
123	Knox Central	4A	3A	382.3	-46
124	Marion County	4A	3A	381	-87
125	Lawrence County	3A	3A	372.7	28
126	LaRue County	3A	3A	371.7	-2
127	Pendleton County	3A	3A	369	-15
128	Bell County	3A	3A	364.7	-5
129	Thomas Nelson	3A	3A	352.7	25
130	Webster County	3A	3A	350	33
131	Powell County	3A	3A	348.3	8
132	Lloyd Memorial	2A	3A	346.3	-7
133	Butler County	2A	3A	343.3	-1
134	Fleming County	3A	3A	342.7	-5
135	Hart County	3A	3A	341.3	11
136	Henry County	3A	3A	339.3	23
137	Russell	3A	3A	336.3	-43
138	Bardstown	3A	3A	334.7	1
139	Casey County	3A	3A	330	-9
140	Estill County	3A	3A	327	-15
141	Magoffin County	3A	3A	325.7	43
142	DeSales	3A	3A	322	-9
143	Union County	3A	3A	317.7	40
144	Lewis County	3A	3A	317	-18
145	Bath County	2A	3A	316	33
145	Morgan County	2A	3A	316	0
145	Trigg County	3A	3A	316	-39
148	Christian Academy‐Louisville	3A	3A	307.7	16
149	Edmonson County	2A	3A	306.3	32
	2A
150	Breathitt County	2A	2A	302.7	-5
151	Carroll County	2A	2A	301.3	20
152	Floyd Central	3A	2A	299	-57
153	Glasgow	3A	2A	298.7	16
154	Pike County Central	3A	2A	291.3	-1
155	West Carter	2A	2A	290	-21
156	Jackson County	3A	NC	288	12
157	Monroe County	2A	2A	286.7	-26
158	Caldwell County	2A	2A	286	18
159	Somerset	2A	2A	283	-24
159	Walton‐Verona	2A	2A	283	9
161	Martin County	2A	2A	281.7	-14
162	Murray	2A	2A	278	51
163	Belfry	3A	2A	277.7	-56
164	Owen County	2A	2A	272.3	29
165	Todd County Central	2A	2A	270.3	-22
166	Washington County	2A	2A	268.3	26
167	Hancock County	2A	2A	267.7	-8
168	Mayfield	2A	2A	267	21
169	Beechwood	2A	2A	266.3	-4
170	Knott County Central	2A	2A	265.3	-31
171	Danville	2A	2A	264	0
172	Shelby Valley	2A	2A	259.3	-31
173	Prestonsburg	2A	2A	256	-30
174	Metcalfe County	2A	2A	250.3	17
175	Green County	2A	2A	236	-33
176	Gallatin County	2A	2A	234.7	28
176	Shawnee	2A	2A	234.7	16
178	Lexington Christian	2A	2A	234.3	-4
178	Leslie County	2A	2A	234.3	-10
180	East Ridge	2A	2A	228	-30
181	Clinton County	2A	2A	227	-3
182	McLean County	2A	2A	215	-36
183	Crittenden County	1A	2A	210.7	7
184	Fort Campbell	2A	2A	207.3	-4
185	Owensboro Catholic	2A	2A	202.3	-1
186	Fort Knox	1A	2A	200	54
187	Betsy Layne	1A	2A	199	3
188	Bracken County	1A	2A	191	0
	1A
189	Newport	2A	1A	189.3	-16
190	Middlesboro	2A	1A	183.3	-1
191	Pikeville	1A	1A	179.3	-49
192	Berea	1A	1A	177.3	17
193	WEB DuBois	NC	2A	171	0
194	Trimble County	2A	1A	168.7	-20
195	Holy Cross (Covington)	2A	1A	168.3	-16
196	Campbellsville	1A	1A	163.7	46
197	Russellville	1A	1A	159	21
198	Ballard Memorial	2A	1A	154.3	-28
199	Frankfort	1A	1A	154	27
200	Hazard	1A	1A	152.3	-4
201	Bishop Brossart	1A	1A	149.3	11
202	Raceland	1A	1A	148.7	7
203	Bethlehem	1A	1A	146.7	19
203	Nicholas County	1A	1A	146.7	-8
205	Kentucky Country Day	1A	1A	146.3	8
206	Williamsburg	1A	1A	144.7	4
207	Eminence	1A	1A	141.7	28
208	Lynn Camp	1A	1A	138.7	-17
209	Dayton	1A	1A	136.3	5
210	Sayre	1A	1A	127	-6
211	Holy Cross (Louisville)	1A	1A	126.7	-32
212	Ludlow	1A	1A	123.3	-22
213	Bellevue	1A	1A	121.7	16
214	Paintsville	1A	1A	119.3	-7
215	Newport Central Catholic	1A	1A	115.7	-23
216	Paris	1A	1A	115.3	29
217	Fairview	1A	1A	110.7	4
218	Caverna	1A	1A	107	3
219	Pineville	1A	1A	104	-12
220	Harlan	1A	1A	92	9
221	Fulton County	1A	1A	90.7	-5

Not Competing: Phelps, Jackson County, Jenkins

Returning to Competition: Knott County Central, Caverna, Bellevue, Fulton County

Moving to 2A for 24-25: WEB DuBois

Moving to 2A for 25-26: St. Henry

From their press release on September 25th:

Once the 2022-23 second month data is collected, schools will be ranked (for both football and track and cross country) by the average of the 2019-20 school year combined with 2022-23 numbers doubled (used twice). It is predicted from the data available that while 2019-20 is somewhat predictive, the most likely predictor of school size will be 2022-23, so those numbers will be doubled.

• The top 32 ranked schools will be assigned to Class 6A
• The lowest 32 ranked schools will be assigned to Class 1A
• The remaining four classes will be evenly divided, with the uneven remainders from the division being placed in a lower class.
• No Board action is necessary on this initial ranking of teams.
• The current alignment is not a factor in these divisions.

Once these are determined, the Competition rules call for the schools to be given an option to “play up” for the four-year cycle, that being to play into a higher classification.

• Many times this is due to geography, but the current rules do not stipulate a required reason.
• NOTE: These decisions are made BEFORE any district groupings are determined. No Board action is necessary on these requests.
• The options allowed in the competition rules for the lines to be redrawn for the class boundaries after the playing up decisions is to be continued.

After these decisions are made by the schools, staff will then place the schools in geographic districts and bring this information to the Board of Control as a draft alignment.

• The draft alignment does not place weight on the present alignment, it is a total re-shaping of the alignment.
• While the new results may end up similar, it is not part of the process to “start” with the current.
  
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