UIL REALIGNMENT: Most Intriguing 4A DI Storylines to Watch

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What To Do Out West?: The UIL has a real travel conundrum in West Texas at the 4A-Division I level. You have a group of teams in El Paso as well as the Texas Panhandle, but in the middle lies Plainview, Midland Greenwood, Andrews and San Angelo Lake View. The UIL could make a four-team district like last time, but that’s really difficult on all parties. If you don’t do a four-teamer you could slide Plainview north into the panhandle and you could slide Lake View east in some alignment with Stephenville and Lampasas, who are both about two and a half hours from San Angelo. But what do you do with Andrews and Greenwood? There’s no one aside from Lake View and Plainview within a four-hour drive; could those two slide all the way west to El Paso? I hate four team districts personally, but if there’s a case for one anywhere in Texas, it’s here.

Paris and Sulphur Springs Outliers in the East: The UIL has a similar issue out in East Texas, although the driving distances aren’t near as bad. Paris and Sulphur Springs spent their time in 4A’s District of Doom in the northeast part of DFW, but the issue is three of the seven schools in that loop are off to Class 5A and no one else moved up aside from Caddo Mills. Does the UIL create a new six-team district or do they split these two rivals on Highway 19?

Will Houston ISD Get Two Districts?: With opt-ups included, Houston ISD will have 11 4A-Division I programs as Houston Sterling and Houston Austin drop down from Class 5A. Is it possible HISD gets two football districts to themselves? Yes, but unlikely as I don’t see a five-team district working in Region III. A more likely scenario is HISD gets one six-team district and the five remaining schools get put into a district with a nearby school. Fort Bend Willowridge, Stafford and Sugar Land Harmony seem to be the most likely candidates, or all three could be placed in an eight team loop as well.