Below are some news/notes/rumors we are hearing from around the state as the Snapshot Day for the 2024 UIL Realignment approaches.

If you have any information regarding schools potentially having a drastic fluctuation in enrollment send that information to matt.stepp@texasfootball.com

El Paso/Far West Texas

• There’s a chance El Paso will no longer have a 5A-Division I district as Del Valle and Bel Air are both approaching dropping down to Division II. If they end up with Division II numbers, this would likely trigger the El Paso area to have two 5A-Division II districts, one El Paso ISD centric loop and one Ysleta ISD loop.
• Clint, Clint Mountain View and Fabens all elected to play 4A-Division II in the 2022 realignment, look for these programs to opt-up to 4A-Division I. This would create one large El Paso-based 4A-Division I district. 
• Anthony, currently in 2A-Division I currently has 3A-Division II numbers on campus, provided the cutline between 2A/3A doesnt move, Anthony expects to move to 3A-Division II. 
• Van Horn is likely moving back up to 2A-Division II after a stint in 1A as a six-man program, CCAISD has a very large group of freshmen. 
• Water Valley, who moved up to eleven man football in the last realignment is likely headed back to 1A after a two-year stint in 2A, Sterling City who also jumped from six-man to 2A in 2022 is likely going to be 2A for two more seasons. 
• Eldorado appears to be a strong candidate to make the move to 2A-Division I. 

Panhandle/South Plains

• The biggest shake-up in this part of the state involves Lubbock Liberty High School starting UIL football in 2024, the second high school in Lubbock Cooper ISD is expected to likely be a 4A-Division II program to start.
• Liberty’s opening didn’t hurt Lubbock Cooper’s enrollment a ton, but it appears the Pirates may wind up dropping back to 5A-Division II where they’ll be one of the state’s largest 5A-D2 schools.
• Lubbock ISD should see some changes as Lubbock High is likely coming back to 5A-Division I, while Lubbock Estacado who currently sits in 4A-Division I could fall to 4A-Division II.
• New Home, who has developed into a 2A-Division II power is getting some serious growth and they are almost assuredly moving up to 2A-Division I.
• Canyon West Plains, who is playing in 4A-Division II is making a move up likely to 4A-Division I, but there’s an outside shot they make the leap all the way to 5A-Division II.
• Amarillo Palo Duro, who dropped to 5A-Division II two years ago may also pop back into 5A-Division I with the other three Amarillo ISD schools.
• Spearman is on the low end of 3A-Division II and could potentially drop down to 2A-Division I.

Wichita Falls

• Wichita Falls ISD is closing all three current high schools at the end of the school year (Wichita Falls High, Rider and Hirschi), these three schools will be consolidated into two brand new schools, Wichita Falls Memorial and Wichita Falls Legacy. Both new schools will be 5A-Division II programs.

DFW

• Several DFW 5A programs are on the cusp of making the leap to 6A, the most notable of these is 5A powerhouse Aledo who is right on the early projected cut lines. Forney, Princeton, Lancaster, Granbury, Justin Northwest, McKinney North and Dallas Adams are all right on the potential cut-line as well.
• Prosper ISD’s third high school Walnut Grove will be join a UIL football district in 2024, expect Walnut Grove to be 5A-Division II, while the district’s other two schools will remain in 6A.
• Eagle Mountain-Saginaw ISD’s fourth high school, Eagle Mountain High School will open in the fall of 2024 and is expected to be a 4A program sitting right on the Division I/Division II line with a slight lean to Division II. No changes are anticipated in the district’s other three schools.
• Dallas ISD in addition to Bryan Adams moving to 6A could see Kimball and Conrad move down to 4A-Division I, this would likely give DISD their own 4A-Division I district if Lincoln and Roosevelt opt up. This will also move the 5A-Division II district to an eight team district that no longer would require the zone format being used in 2022-2023.
• 4A-Division I power Anna is heading up to 5A-Division II, while Argyle and Melissa are seeing explosive growth are expected to remain in 5A-Division II.
• DeSoto will turn in a 5A enrollment number, but most believe they will opt up to remain in Class 6A.
• Lake Dallas looks to be a strong candidate to drop from 5A-Division II to 4A-Division I with a very small senior class in the building currently. 

East Texas

• Lindale and Jacksonville were thought to be a good candidates to move back to Class 5A, but the 5A/4A cutline could jump both schools projected enrollment. Lindale is likely staying 4A, while Jacksonville appears to be a 50/50 proposition.
• Changes are coming in Longview, where Longview High is sitting right on the 5A/6A cutline, the Lobos are no strangers to 6A so moving up wouldn’t be a major impact. Across town, it’s almost a sure thing that Longview Pine Tree drops down to Class 4A-Division I. If Pine Tree drops and that leaves just six 5A-Division II schools in East Texas, does Greenville or Terrell get pushed east?
• Elysian Fields and Waskom both are strong candidates to move down to 2A-Division I from 3A-Division II.
• Linden-Kildare and Overton both could potentially make the move up to 2A-Division I from Division II.

Austin/Central Texas

• It may be a quiet realignment cycle in Austin for the most part, Pflugerville Weiss who plays in 12-6A with just one other Austin program (Hutto) likely is dropping back down to Class 5A.
• Weiss dropping down combined with Killeen ISD not having a 6A program could signal massive changes in 12-6A, Harker Heights is currently the only 6A program in KISD, they along with current 5A-Division I team Shoemaker are both likely sitting right on the 6A/5A cutline.
• If there are no Killeen 6A programs, my guess is 12-6A gets totally broken up with Waco Midway shifting north to DFW, Bryan shifting down to Houston and then Temple, Copperas Cove and possibly Lake Belton moving south into an Austin district.
• Killeen Chaparral likely makes the move up to 5A-Division I, while Killeen Ellison may drop down to 5A-Division II from Division I.
• Waco La Vega is a good candidate to drop down to 4A-Division II, their enrollment is holding strady just under 900, but the 4A D1/D2 cut line is likely to exceed 900 students
• Austin ISD opted up powerful LBJ to 5A-Division II last year, the Jaguars actually have a 4A-Division II enrollment, will Austin ISD allow LBJ and other schools to play where their enrollment puts them? If they do, that could have some impacts on the 5A division split numbers. 
• Tiny McDade, located just east of Elgin has long been a 1A school, but the inevitable growth from Austin is marching their way and is likely going to propel the program into 2A-Division II. The school and coaches are already preparing to make the leap in 2024. 
• Thrall in Williamson County is another contender to move up as they are currently in 2A-Division I, expect them to be right on the 2A/3A cut-line. 

Greater Houston/Southeast Texas

• Beaumont ISD may see their two 6A programs (Beaumont West Brook and Beaumont United), drop down to Class 5A-Division I. United appears to be a near-lock for 5A-Division I, while West Brook looks to be right on the 6A/5A cut-line.
• Several 5A-Division I programs in fast-growing Fort Bend and Brazoria Counties are good candidates to move up to Class 6A, those include Fulshear, Richmond Foster, Angleton and Manvel.
• Iowa Colony who opened as a 4A-Division I school in 2022 likely moves up to 5A-Division II in 2024.
• Houston ISD could have an eighth 6A program as most believe Wisdom High School will jump from 5A-Division I.
• New Caney ISD’s third high school, West Fork High will join a UIL district in 2024, they are expected to be a 5A-Division II school, will that impact New Caney or Porter’s enrollment number?
• There are rumblings in Pasadena ISD that Pasadena High and possibly one other school in the district could land with 5A numbers and most believe PISD will allow them to drop to 5A-Division I.

San Antonio Metro

• Several 5A-Division I programs in San Antonio appear slated to move up to Class 6A, those programs include New Braunfels Canyon, San Antonio Wagner and Medina Valley.
• Northside ISD could see two of their older schools (Holmes and Jay) drop down to 5A-Division I from 6A, this may result in Northside ISD going back to one district in 6A, currently they are split between two districts.
• 2022 4A-Division I Boerne is likely making the jump to Class 5A-Division II.
• South San Antonio ISD has held talks of closing South San West Campus, but as of now the district has elected to keep West Campus open. If West remains open, expect them to move up to 3A-Division I from Division II, while South San Antonio High likely straddles the 5A-Division I/II line. If West Campus closes down, look for South San Antonio to possibly jump back to Class 6A.

Coastal Bend

• The biggest thing to watch on the coast is what does Corpus Christi ISD do in this alignment? In the previous alignment CCISD has five of their six schools land with a Division II enrollment but all five were opted up to Division I. There are rumblings from multiple sources that CCISD is strongly considering allowing their schools to play where the enrollment lands, this would drastically alter the landscape in Region IV in 5A-Division I and II, but potentially shake things up in 4A-Division I as well. This isn’t the first time those rumors have been circulated. Until an official word is released at the district level, everything involving CCISD is speculation.
• It’s very likely Flour Bluff will move back to 5A-Division I after spending the last two years as a Division II program.
• Alice, who has spent the past few realignment cycles as a 4A-Division I school is likely headed back to 5A-Division II.
• Fast growing London, located in the Corpus Christi city limits, but is its own ISD and they are pushing very close to making the leap to 4A-Division II.
• Bishop and Orange Grove who have spent the last two years in 4A-Division II appear to be moving down to 3A-Division I, this could have implications down in the Rio Grande Valley.

RGV/Laredo

• The big thing to watch in the Valley with smaller schools is 16-4A Division II, which already has just four teams. Port Isabel, Rio Grande City Grulla, Raymondville and Bishop. Bishop and Raymondville appear to be dropping down to 3A, while Grulla is likely opting up to 4A-Division I, thus leaving Port Isabel as the lone 4A-Division II school in the Valley. The big question then is will Port Isabel opt up to Division I to reduce travel or do they stay in Division II and make several trips north to the Coastal Bend?
• Brownsville Veterans Memorial looks ready to make the leap to Class 6A from 5A-Division I, while elsewhere in Brownsville ISD there are rumblings Pace could drop to 5A-Division II from 5A-D1.
• Mission and PSJA are both smaller 6A programs and could potentially flirt with the 6A/5A cut-line, so they will need to be watched.
• Edcouch-Elsa is likely moving down to 4A-Division I from 5A-Division II.
• Currently the Rio Grande Valley has two six-team 6A districts and Laredo has one six-team 6A district, I believe it is highly unlikely the UIL continues with this set-up as it causes district strain in other parts of the state. I believe the UIL will consolidated these three districts into two districts, which will open up a district for shifting in other parts of the state. Even if all of the RGV/Laredo schools remain in 6A and Brownsville Vets moves up, I believe Eagle Pass and Del Rio, (who are currently aligned with four Laredo schools in 30-6A) will shift north into a San Antonio district. The four Laredo schools will play in a district on the western edge of the Valley (La Joya and Edinburg CISD most likely) and Mission and PJSA (if they remain 6A) will shift east into the Lower Valley district.