High School Sports Realignment Announced for Utah: Key Changes Ahead for 2025-27 Seasons

In a recent meeting held in Salt Lake City, the UHSAA Board of Trustees discussed the first draft for high school sports realignment for the upcoming 2025-26 and 2026-27 school years. This important event takes place every two years to adjust school classifications and regions based on changing enrollment numbers.

The UHSAA has two distinct alignments—one specifically for football and another for all other sports. Each classification includes schools that are categorized as bubble schools. These bubble schools are closely watched and may be moved either up or down in classification by the UHSAA, depending on their performance and other factors.

This year, the UHSAA is planning to hear petitions from schools to either move up or down in classification on December 4. After these requests, a public hearing via Zoom will take place on December 11. The final decisions regarding classifications and regions will be announced during the Board meeting on December 19. It’s important to note that the number of teams per classification is still under consideration.

The UHSAA has implemented a new formula designed by Nate Marshall, the executive director of Providence Hall, to assess the classifications of bubble schools. Each school now has a Member School Profile that evaluates their competitiveness through RPI rankings and state tournament results. A Z score is then calculated based on the school’s success multipliers, which will aid the Board in their decision-making process.

It is expected that Corner Canyon will appeal to move up to 6A for all sports, similar to its last realignment. Schools like Ben Lomond and Ogden are likely to be classified in 3A due to their free-and-reduced lunch rates, which are above 50%. Notably, Deseret Peak, a newly established school in Tooele scheduled to open in 2025, has not been included in this initial draft. It is projected to begin as a 4A school for its first two years since it won’t have seniors initially.

The UHSAA continues to make strides in ensuring fair and competitive environments for high school sports across the state. As all schools review their Member School Profiles, they prepare for the upcoming hearings and decisions.