Spring sports classifications for both the 2024-25 and 2025-26 school years have been released by the FHSAA.
The classifications are still tentative, however, pending the appeals process. The deadline for schools to appeal or make corrections is Aug. 12. After that, all classifications are final.
Notably, flag football has doubled in class sizes. After spending the last few years with just Class 1A and 2A, the ever-expanding sport will now have Class 1A-4A. Beach volleyball and boys volleyball have also grown, going from a single class to Class 1A-3A.
Boys weightlifting, track and field and tennis all remain the same for the next two years with Classes 1A-4A. Lacrosse is still two classes, 1A and 2A, as well.
Baseball and softball are taking on a similar structure to a majority of fall and winter sports, going with Classes 1A-7A while also boasting a rural class.
All Escambia and Santa Rosa County schools in the FHSAA are in both Region 1 and District 1 .
Here’s a breakdown of the classifications for spring sports.
BASEBALL
- Class 6A: Navarre, Pace, Tate
- Class 5A: Gulf Breeze, Milton, Pine Forest
- Class 4A: Escambia, Booker T. Washington
- Class 3A: Pensacola, West Florida
- Class 2A: Pensacola Catholic
- Class 1A: L.E.A.D. Academy
- Rural: Central, Jay, Northview
Classes 6A and 5A have the biggest changes for baseball. District 1-6A used to be strictly Escambia and Santa Rosa County baseball teams. Now, there's a little bit of a split. Navarre, Pace and Tate will remain in 6A, and are now joined by Crestview, a team that went 14-13 this past season. Gulf Breeze and Milton moved down to 5A, now joined by Pine Forest and Niceville.
Elsewhere, Escambia and Booker T. remain together, now in Class 4A – and will have Choctaw and Fort Walton Beach in the same district; and similarly, Pensacola and West Florida are still in the same district, albeit Class 3A now – and those two schools will have Walton and South Walton as district foes. The new classifications move both Pensacola Catholic (formerly 3A) and L.E.A.D. Academy (formerly 2A) down a class size.
Both schools are the only area team in their districts. The Crusaders are with Bozeman, Freeport and Marianna. The Lions' lone opponent in district is Rocky Bayou Christian.
Central, Jay and Northview remain together in the rural classification.
SOFTBALL
- Class 6A: Navarre, Pace, Tate
- Class 5A: Gulf Breeze, Milton
- Class 4A: Escambia, Pine Forest, Booker T. Washington
- Class 3A: Pensacola, West Florida
- Class 2A: Pensacola Catholic
- Class 1A: L.E.A.D. Academy
- Rural: Central, Jay, Northview
Again, most changes err toward the bigger classifications for area teams. However, for the first time in a few years, Gulf Breeze baseball and softball will now be in the same classification (Class 5A). Milton softball also moved from Class 6A to 5A.
Pine Forest baseball and softball, similar to what Gulf Breeze used to be, are now split in classifications. The softball team remains with district foes Escambia and Booker T., but are all in Class 4A now.
All changes for Classes 3A through rural remain the same as baseball. However, L.E.A.D. Academy's district is much larger in softball with FAMU DRS (Tallahassee), North Florida Christian (Tallahassee), Rocky Bayou Christian, St. John Paul II (Tallahassee) and Wakulla Christian (Crawfordville) are all District 1.
BEACH VOLLEYBALL
- Class 2A: Gulf Breeze, Pace
Even though beach volleyball expanded classifications, Gulf Breeze and Pace – the only area teams with programs currently – will remain district rivals in Class 2A. Both teams were, obviously, Class 1A last season as there was only one class for the sport.
Gulf Breeze won't have to defend a state title against St. Thomas Aquinas this year, as the latter has moved up to Class 3A. However, the strength of 2A still remains as teams like New Smyrna Beach – the winner of the previous two state championships – is in the classification.
BOYS VOLLEYBALL
The Dolphins remain the only area school with a boys volleyball team. After sitting in Class 1A – the sport's only classification – Gulf Breeze moves up to Class 2A. District foes will include Choctaw, the team the Dolphins faced a majority of the time last season, as well as Rickards out of Tallahassee and Wakulla out of Crawfordville, causing for a pretty large district size.
FLAG FOOTBALL
- Class 3A: Gulf Breeze, Navarre, Pace, Tate
- Class 2A: Escambia, Pensacola, Pine Forest, Booker T. Washington
- Independent: Northview
Fear not, flag football fans: the rivalry of Pace and Navarre flag football, revived last year after a split four meetings last season, will remain intact as both teams are in Class 3A. Flag football, continuing to grow at a high rate, doubled in classifications.
However, largely, schools remain together from the previous season. All four area teams in Class 3A were merely Class 2A last season, and the same goes for the four schools in Class 2A, which were in Class 1A last spring. Northview, which started a flag football team last season, remains independent for at least the next two years.
BOYS LACROSSE
- Class 2A: Gulf Breeze, Milton, Navarre
- Class 1A: Pensacola, Pensacola Catholic, Booker T. Washington, West Florida
- Independent: Escambia
Classifications for area boys lacrosse teams remain the same, as both Gulf Breeze (2A) and Pensacola Catholic (1A) will look to defend district titles against the same opponents.
However, new to the mix for the sport will be Escambia, which is going independent for at least the next two seasons.
GIRLS LACROSSE
- Class 2A: Gulf Breeze, Milton, Navarre, Tate
- Class 1A: Pensacola, Pensacola Catholic, Booker T. Washington, West Florida
- Independent: Escambia
Just like boys lacrosse, classifications remain the same for girls lacrosse for the next two seasons. Both Gulf Breeze and Pensacola Catholic will look to, as well, defend their district championships.
Escambia appears to also be instituting a girls lacrosse program, which will also be independent.
BOYS TENNIS
- Class 3A: Escambia, Gulf Breeze, Milton, Navarre, Pace, Tate, Booker T. Washington
- Class 2A: Pensacola, West Florida
- Class 1A: Jay, Pensacola Catholic, East Hill Christian
- Independent: Northview
Classifications and schools remain the same for boys tennis.
GIRLS TENNIS
- Class 3A: Escambia, Gulf Breeze, Milton, Navarre, Pace, Tate, Booker T. Washington
- Class 2A: Pensacola, West Florida
- Class 1A: Jay, Pensacola Catholic, East Hill Christian
- Independent: Northview
Classifications and schools remain the same for girls tennis.
BOYS TRACK AND FIELD
- Class 3A: Escambia, Gulf Breeze, Milton, Navarre, Pace, Pine Forest, Tate, Booker T. Washington
- Class 2A: Northview, Pensacola, Pensacola Catholic, West Florida
- Class 1A: Central, Jay, L.E.A.D. Academy, Pensacola Christian
The changes in classifications for area schools stem from some programs going from Class 4A to Class 3A. Navarre, Pace and Tate – all in Class 4A last season – join a majority of area schools in Class 3A, described by one coach as "a gauntlet" of a classification with some top athletes around the state.
Outside of that, Classes 2A and 1A remain the same.
GIRLS TRACK AND FIELD
- Class 3A: Escambia, Gulf Breeze, Milton, Navarre, Pace, Pine Forest, Tate, Booker T. Washington
- Class 2A: Northview, Pensacola, Pensacola Catholic, West Florida
- Class 1A: Central, Jay, L.E.A.D. Academy, Pensacola Christian
The changes in girls track and field are the same as boys track and field, with some Class 4A schools moving to the Class 3A classification.
BOYS WEIGHTLIFTING
- Class 3A: Gulf Breeze, Milton, Navarre, Pace, Tate
- Class 2A: Escambia, Pensacola, Pine Forest, Booker T. Washington, West Florida
- Class 1A: Central, Jay, Northview, Pensacola Catholic
Classifications remain the same as the last couple seasons for boys weightlifting.
Ben Grieco is a sports reporter for the Pensacola News Journal. He can be reached on X (@BenGriecoSports) and via email at BGrieco@gannett.com .
This article originally appeared on Pensacola News Journal: FHSAA releases tentative spring sports classifications for next two seasons
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