SAN ANTONIO ( KFDX/KJTL ) — The Texas High School Coaches Association (THSCA) is hosting its 92nd annual coaching convention in San Antonio as over 17,000 coaches, administrators and representatives flock to the Alamo City.

University Interscholastic League (UIL) leaders spoke to the media during the convention, discussing many topics, including one major change to playoff realignment for all team sports other than football. The new model goes into effect for the 2024-25 season.

The change, first announced in June, involves split divisions in all team sports in all classifications. The class 6A level has followed this model in the past, but it is new to classes 1A through 5A.

“This is a monumental announcement in trying to maintain competitive equity and the fairest playoff bracket that we can,” UIL Deputy Director Jamey Harrison said. “This is as big of an announcement as the UIL has had in quite some time.”

While the regular season is not impacted, once the playoffs roll around, the qualifying teams will be split into two divisions based on their enrollment size. For example, four teams from District 7-3A basketball will qualify for the postseason.

Of those four programs, the two schools with the largest enrollments will go into “Class 3A Division I,” while the two schools with the smallest enrollments will go into “Class 3A Division II.” Each division then plays its way through the bracket and crowns two separate champions, one for Division I and one for Division II.

“The rule was created 34 years ago when we had the first split of conferences for football [in Class 6A],” UIL Executive Director Charles Breithaupt said. “And then what happened was 5A wanted it, and then 4A wanted it, then we started having basketball and baseball people say, ‘What about us?’ So those other teams’ sports have been asking for some relief for 34 years, so this didn’t happen overnight.”

This rule change allows schools in the bottom half of each classification’s enrollment threshold to have a more competitive chance against schools their own size in the playoffs.

It also means that 12 state champions will now be crowned in most team sports instead of 6 champions under the old model.

Note: No changes to the high school football model exist under this new legislation.

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