VHSL reclassification

[Weatherman]

Considering there are 2 million more people that live in Virginia now than in 1998, and 25 more schools in the VHSL despite several consolidations, the current system is not watered down. Neither the population of Virginia nor the number of schools participating is going to decrease.

[Tigerman10]

20 hours ago, CPF said:

I've heard they are staying in 2A in SWD.

Not next year but the following year they will very likely move to 1A.  

[VHSLhelper]

Doesn't work that way

[Tigerman10]

34 minutes ago, VHSLhelper said:

Doesn't work that way

The VHSL will use the 3/31/26 ADMs to classify schools for the new cycle beginning in 2027.  Leb folks think it is very likely that during the 2027-2031 alignment that they will be single A.  They’ve been back and forth a lot over their history so it wouldn’t be surprising. 

[CPF]

1 hour ago, Tigerman10 said:

The VHSL will use the 3/31/26 ADMs to classify schools for the new cycle beginning in 2027.  Leb folks think it is very likely that during the 2027-2031 alignment that they will be single A.  They’ve been back and forth a lot over their history so it wouldn’t be surprising. 

I was told by someone in the know they were staying.

[Stelley]

13 hours ago, CPF said:

I was told by someone in the know they were staying.

I would highly doubt it. The class that just graduated was the biggest in 5 years and will likely remain the biggest for a long time.

[CPF]

2 hours ago, Stelley said:

I would highly doubt it. The class that just graduated was the biggest in 5 years and will likely remain the biggest for a long time.

Guess we will see

[VHSLhelper]

On 5/31/2026 at 8:00 PM, Tigerman10 said:

The VHSL will use the 3/31/26 ADMs to classify schools for the new cycle beginning in 2027.  Leb folks think it is very likely that during the 2027-2031 alignment that they will be single A.  They’ve been back and forth a lot over their history so it wouldn’t be surprising. 

So, YES next year... not NOT next year, but the following year.

[VHSLhelper]

1.) You also have to remember they aren't in a vacuum.... all the other schools will have ADM changes, too. 

2.) "The VHSL will use the 3/31/26 ADMs to classify schools for the new cycle beginning in 2027. "
Like they used the 3/31/22 ADMs for this cycle.
Those 9th graders from the Spring of '22 were the class of '25.
The Class of '26 wasn't in those numbers.

[VHSLhelper]

With four fewer A's now, who knows what will happen.

[Jags52]

On 6/1/2026 at 9:53 PM, VHSLhelper said:

With four fewer A's now, who knows what will happen.

That now means 1D and 2D have 12 and 13 schools respectively so there is really no reason to move schools down

[Real Sasquatch]

The total # of schools will keep going up. Most of those will be 4A, 5A or 6A.  Northern Virginia and rhe Richmond Metro area are growing at a good pace.  I'm wondering what re-classification will start to look like statewide in the not too distant future.  I can see 5 Divisions with what is now 1A and 2A being combined into 1 Division.

[Bluebird]

On 5/31/2026 at 5:00 PM, Tigerman10 said:

The VHSL will use the 3/31/26 ADMs to classify schools for the new cycle beginning in 2027.  Leb folks think it is very likely that during the 2027-2031 alignment that they will be single A.  They’ve been back and forth a lot over their history so it wouldn’t be surprising. 

Where is the link for the 3/31/26 ADMs  I only know of the 3/31/22 ADMs.  

[Fairlawncat]

Usually takes 3 months to be released. A High School in Greenville,Va, called Riverheads has to first see the numbers, then they turn in their own numbers, and then it gets released

[redtiger]

2 hours ago, Real Sasquatch said:

The total # of schools will keep going up. Most of those will be 4A, 5A or 6A.  Northern Virginia and rhe Richmond Metro area are growing at a good pace.  I'm wondering what re-classification will start to look like statewide in the not too distant future.  I can see 5 Divisions with what is now 1A and 2A being combined into 1 Division.

The issue is really that the upper half of group 4, all of 5, and the lower portion of 6 are all basically the same size. Those need to be combined, leave 1/2 alone as is

[Jags52]

1 hour ago, redtiger said:

The issue is really that the upper half of group 4, all of 5, and the lower portion of 6 are all basically the same size. Those need to be combined, leave 1/2 alone as is

I agree you cannot act like Northwood and Castlewood are playing the same sport as Graham and Union. Class 1 needs to stay put

[BigWinners]

I just don’t think at the current levels, Norton should be competing against the larger 2A schools. Leave 1A alone, under 300 kids should get protected bc those numbers just don’t allow schools to regularly compete with 700-800 kids. Maybe you could mess with 2A and widen it a bit but I don’t see the rush to mess with the lower classifications. The top levels sure but leave bottom alone. 

[VHSLhelper]

9 hours ago, Jags52 said:

That now means 1D and 2D have 12 and 13 schools respectively so there is really no reason to move schools down

That's not how it works.

Class 1 will be short a few, so it needs to be evened back out since there will 5 new schools that are Class 2 or larger.

[Real Sasquatch]

6 classifications seems watered down.  4 would probably work for now with possibly 5 in the future if we keep getting more schools in the more populated areas.

[Jags52]

15 hours ago, VHSLhelper said:

That's not how it works.

Class 1 will be short a few, so it needs to be evened back out since there will 5 new schools that are Class 2 or larger.

I mean you probably know more about that than me but I’m going to assume more schools are consolidating besides southern gap

How hard would it be to put the smallest 52 teams in class one split them to 4 even regions and go up from there any extra is in 6. If you don’t like 13 team regions you cannot act take it down to 48 and class 6 is a big classification or make it 56 and 6 would be smaller

[VHSLhelper]

Nope. There really aren't but a handful left that CAN consolidate - mainly Tazewell, Russell & Scott-and they aren't even talking about it seriously.

Want you want is what we already have. We'll still be at 317 or 318 next time, so 53 per Class. Regional numbers will always be unbalanced. This Fall, it will be 12, 13, 15 & 12 for Class 1. Class 2 will be 13, 12, 9 and 17! I have no idea why they couldn't have put Prince Edward, Randolph-Henry, Amelia & Nottoway in Reg. B with the Shenandoah schools.

 

I've said for decades we need 5 Classes.... around 64 in each, 4 Regions of 16ish, and 2 Districts of 8. Ratings points only if you have 3 Districts of 5, and maybe for Regional finals.

[Union_Fan]

From the BHC...

Lebanon principal Ryan Potts confirmed that the Pioneers will drop from Class 2 to Class 1 when the next Virginia High School League cycle of realignment occurs for the 2027-28 school year.

Lebanon has bounced between the VHSL’s smallest classification and second-smallest classification several times since the VHSL shifted to the modern-day system of alignment for the 1970-71 school year.

[Fairlawncat]

46 minutes ago, Union_Fan said:

 

Lebanon has bounced between the VHSL’s smallest classification and second-smallest classification several times since the VHSL shifted to the modern-day system of alignment for the 1970-71 school year.

And it's not Lebanon's fault. The VHSL sets the cutoff numbers just like the other 49 states set their cutoff numbers. There are going to be teams in every class in Va and the rest of the country that hover right around that cutoff year in and year out, and just like Lebanon and others in Virginia and the other 49 states, you are going to have those schools that bounce up or down a level. The statements that bother me that I heard about Radford years ago was, "Radford is chicken shi$, and they dropped down to Class 1." We dropped because our numbers were Class 1. We went back up to Class 2 because our numbers became Class 2. 

[SXSW]

On 6/7/2026 at 7:57 PM, VHSLhelper said:

Nope. There really aren't but a handful left that CAN consolidate - mainly Tazewell, Russell & Scott-and they aren't even talking about it seriously.

Want you want is what we already have. We'll still be at 317 or 318 next time, so 53 per Class. Regional numbers will always be unbalanced. This Fall, it will be 12, 13, 15 & 12 for Class 1. Class 2 will be 13, 12, 9 and 17! I have no idea why they couldn't have put Prince Edward, Randolph-Henry, Amelia & Nottoway in Reg. B with the Shenandoah schools.

 

I've said for decades we need 5 Classes.... around 64 in each, 4 Regions of 16ish, and 2 Districts of 8. Ratings points only if you have 3 Districts of 5, and maybe for Regional finals.

I do not think that Scott County will ever consolidate the county is just too big (539 sq. miles) there is no place you can put a school that wouldn't make transportation a logistical nightmare. You could theoretically consolidate GC and RC the easiest but that is a big ask. The population of Scott County is around 22,000 and 75% live within 10 miles of Gate City.  I may have to eat my words one day and apologize but I am 57 and I don't think it will happen in my lifetime.  

[cityofRaven]

Does Lebanon know there could be fog in Class 1 as well?