New realignment plan coming soon for SC high school sports. Here’s what we know
The S.C. High School League is expected to release its realignment plan for 2026-28 later this week. SCHSL commissioner Jerome Singleton on Monday shared with schools a glimpse of what that realignment might look like.
In an email sent to schools and obtained by The State, the SCHSL plans to make Class 5A one classification again after two years of being split into two divisions. Class 5A is made up of the state’s largest members schools.
The classification with the state’s smallest schools, Class A, will now be the class with the biggest number of schools and could be split into two divisions on a sport-by-sport basis.
The SCHSL undergoes a realignment process every two years to reclassify schools for athletics as a way to address competitive balance. Two key details that were not yet known: Which schools will move up or down in classification; and what teams’ region placements will be.
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The new-look classifications are expected to be released sometime Friday afternoon, according to a source with knowledge of the situation . Region placements won’t be known until sometime in January and after schools are allowed to make appeals over their classifications.
This realignment is based on 45-day enrollment numbers from grades 9-11. This year’s formula for class placement will feature an out-of-zone multiplier for the second time. That multiplier took each student who lives outside a school’s assigned attendance zone and counted them as three for total enrollment purposes.
The league’s reclassification/realignment committee met five times and determined the following parameters for the classification of schools after surveying superintendents, principals, coaches and athletic administrators.
- Class 5A will have at least 36 schools and no more than 44.
- Class 4A will be at least 36 schools and no more than 44.
- Class 3A will have at least 36 schools and no more than 44.
- Class 2A will be at least 36 schools and no more than 44.
- Class A will have at least 62 schools and no more than 74.
The committee also recommended that Class A split its playoffs and crown two champions for sports when there are at least 45 competing programs. Such a plan still has to be approved by the league’s executive committee.
For Class A, it’s likely that boys and girls basketball, baseball and softball would have enough schools to split into two divisions for the playoffs. Football would be close because some of the smallest schools don’t offer the sport.
Other highlights of realignment parameters include the size of regions, which were recommended to have at least six schools. If geography concerns prevent that from happening, five schools would be permitted in a region.
There was talk of blending regions to feature Class 4A and 5A schools from the same geographic area — and doing the same thing with Class 2A and 3A schools — before breaking off into specific classifications when the playoffs started. Such a move would help with schedules and travel, but a source on the realignment committee said that idea was voted down.
