NCHSAA Finalizes New Classifications for the 2025-2026 School Year

In a significant move for high school athletics in North Carolina, the North Carolina High School Athletic Association (NCHSAA) announced that it has completed its average daily membership (ADM) numbers, which will impact the upcoming realignment starting in the 2025-2026 school year. This change was officially released to the public on Tuesday.

The ADM numbers represent school enrollments calculated by averaging attendance over the first 20 days of the school year. These figures are critical as they determine the classification of the schools. For the first time in history, the NCHSAA will shift from four classifications to eight classifications.

One of the key reasons behind this expansion is a new bylaw passed by member schools that limits the number of schools in a single classification to no more than 64. The largest classification, known as 8A, will consist of the top 32 largest schools in the state, referred to as the Big 32. The remaining seven classifications will be divided evenly based on each school’s ADM size, with the smallest schools falling into the 1A classification.

NCHSAA Commissioner Que Tucker noted, “In the coming weeks, NCHSAA staff will draft a proposed conference alignment, which will be reviewed by the Realignment Committee.” This team will subsequently create a first draft aimed for membership approval. Tucker added, “We look forward to entering a new era of interscholastic athletics in North Carolina under the eight-classification model.”

In preparing for this change, the NCHSAA had to gather ADM figures independently this year, a shift from previous practices where the data was provided by the Department of Public Instruction. This adjustment was made due to changes in data management alongside challenges posed by Hurricane Helene.

The NCHSAA has been gathering draft data for some time, and various insights from this data have been shared with insiders. As schools and athletic programs start to plan for the new classifications, the focus will shift to how these changes could alter the landscape of high school sports in North Carolina.