The UIL announced its 2024-26 realignment on Thursday from Birdville and there was some movement in the largest classification. Don’t forget in 6A it’s the same districts for football, basketball and volleyball, which all were released on Thursday. Soccer, softball and baseball will come later officially, but it will be close to 100% the same as the first three sports.
Let’s start with the state champions.
Duncanville and DeSoto (6A D1/6A D2) will stay in the same district in 11-6A (Region 2).
DeSoto’s enrollment numbers dropped to 5A and no one really knew whether the Eagles were going to stay in 5A or opt up to 6A. We learned the truth on Thursday.
Dallas Skyline, Cedar Hill and Waxahachie stay up in the District of Doom while the three Mansfield schools (High, Legacy, Lake Ridge) jumped ship. In their place is Lancaster, which moved up from 5A and Mesquite and Mesquite Horn, who come over from District 10.
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MANSFIELD BACK TO REGION 1
Speaking of the Mansfield schools – they moved back to Region 1 for the first time since 2019-20 after spending four seasons in Region 2. Mansfield, Lake Ridge and Legacy jumped all the way to the front of the line in DFW – 3-6A. Some thought they would pair up with Arlington ISD maybe in District 8, but instead they are now in a 7-team district alongside North Crowley, Crowley, Boswell and Weatherford.
All three teams struggled in 2023 with Mansfield being the closest to a playoff spot.
3-6A lost Chisholm Trail (5A), Paschal (5A) and Euless Trinity and Bell, who both moved to District 4-6A.
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NORTHWEST ISD
Trinity and Bell dropped down one to District 4 and is paired with Keller, Timber Creek, Central, Southlake Carroll, Northwest, Byron Nelson and Eaton – turning it into a 9-team district.
The current basketball district features 7 teams and for the next two years, it will jump to 9.
Fossil Ridge moved down to 5A.
For the first time, all three Northwest schools (NW, Byron, Eaton) will play in the same district.
Northwest had spent the past eight seasons in 5A after the opening of Eaton. The Texas are back in 6A for the first time since 2015-16 when Eaton hadn’t started yet.
During that span in 5A, the Texans football team went to the playoffs seven times and won 10 games three times. Additionally they won back-to-back undefeated district titles in 2018 and 2019.
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There were some flip flopping in District 5 and 6.
Coppell and the Lewisville ISD schools link up with Denton and Little Elm in 5.
Allen, McKinney and Prosper hook up with Plano in 6
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Forney and Longview moved up to 6A and go into 10 with Rockwall, Royse City, North Forney and Tyler Legacy.
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3-6A: Mansfield, Legacy, Lake Ridge, North Crowley, Crowley, Weatherford, Boswell
4-6A: Keller, TC, Central, SLC, Byron, NW, Eaton, Trinity, Bell
5-6A: Coppell, Braswell, Guyer, Lewisville, Flower Mound, Marcus, Hebron, Little Elm
6-6A: Allen, McKinney, McKinney Boyd, Plano, Plano East, Plano West, Princeton, Prosper, Rock Hill
7-6A: Jesuit, Irving, Nimitz, MacArthur, Richardson, Berkner, Pearce, Lake Highlands
8-6A: Arlington, Martin, Lamar, Sam Houston, Bowie, GP, SGP, Haltom
9-6A: Sachse, Wylie, Wylie East, Garland, Rowlett, Lakeview Centennial, North Garland, South Garland, Naaman Forest
10-6A: Forney, North Forney, Rockwall, Rockwall-Heath, Longview, Tyler Legacy, Royse City
11-6A: Duncanville, DeSoto, Skyline, Lancaster, Mesquite, Horn, Waxahachie, Cedar Hill
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