UIL Realignment has come and gone after a wild Monday across the state. Now that we’ve had time to digest the results, I take a look at five things I’d have done differently.

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Class 6A

Plenty of DFW Swapping

Stay with me here, but Crowley ISD being in District 11-6A simply doesn’t make sense, especially considering Aledo and Weatherford have to drive right past Crowley ISD to get to Arlington. You'd have to get a bit creative but you can avoid odd numbered districts in 6A by just switching a few teams.

Here’s what I’d have using the newly aligned districts as a base with changes in bold:

3-6A: Aledo, Weatherford, Granbury, Crowley, North Crowley, Haltom, Euless Trinity, Hurst Bell

8-6A: Arlington, Arlington Bowie, Arlington Lamar, Arlington Martin, Arlington Sam Houston, Irving, Irving MacArthur, Irving Nimitz

11-6A: Duncanville, Waxahachie, Red Oak, Mansfield, Mansfield Lake Ridge, Grand Prairie, South Grand Prairie, Dallas Skyline

All eight team districts and travel is still relatively limited. Other than the Arlington/Irving pairing, it makes sense. But did Irving ISD make sense with Richardson ISD the past few alignments?

Class 5A Division II

Liberty Hill ISD Back to Region III

I am not a huge fan of the six team districts in the 5A/6A level, including the Region III six-team district of 12-5A with the three Austin ISD schools joined by Pflugerville, Elgin and Bastrop. If you flip Liberty Hill and Liberty Hill Legacy Ranch into 12-5A Division II you solve the six-team district issue and you even out the regions with 28 teams in each. Right now there are 26 teams in Region III and 30 teams in Region IV.

Here’s what I’d have using the newly aligned districts as a base with changes in bold:

12-5A Division II: Austin LASA, Austin Crockett, Austin Navarro, Bastrop, Elgin, Pflugerville, Liberty Hill, Liberty Hill Legacy Ranch

13-5A Division II: Boerne, New Braunfels, New Braunfels Long Creek, Alamo Heights, San Antonio Veterans Memorial, San Antonio Harlandale, San Antonio McCollum

14-5A Division II: Remains the same minus Harlandale and McCollum.

Class 4A Division I

Stephenville Takes One For the Team

Full transparency here, I loathe four-team districts and in certain circumstances I’ll make a team travel to avoid a four-team district. We have one four-team district in Texas and it is District 3-4A Division I, which features Plainview, Andrews, Midland Greenwood and San Angelo Central. My proposal involves Region III (yes Region III) with Stephenville moving out of their Central Texas-based district into a true West Texas district and then sliding Taylor over from District 13 to District 12. Yes, Stephenville has more travel, but in the sense of competition, I don’t like the fact we have a four-team district.

Here’s what I’d have using the newly aligned districts as a base, changes in bold:

3-4A Division I: Andrews, Midland Greenwood, Plainview, San Angelo Lake View, Stephenville

12-4A Division I: Burnet, China Spring, Jarrell, Lampasas, Marble Falls, Taylor

13-4A Division I: Remains the same minus Taylor.

3A Division II

A District Flip-Flop

It’s hard to really find a major issue in Class 3A in Division I or Division II. There’s some consternation about Anthony and San Angelo Grape Creek being together, but Anthony is an island unto themselves; someone has to go there. Grape Creek could be in another district out west but its travel would be longer than taking one long trip in three years, so I get that. My biggest gripe (and it’s a stretch) is the district numbering. I feel like 11-3A Division II is a better fit in Region II in place of 8-3A Division II. I say move 8-3A Division II to 9-3A Division II, 9-3A Division II to 10-3A Division II and 10-3A Division II to 11-3A Division II. Follow me yet?

2A Division I

Riesel and Marlin — Reunited and it Feels So Good

Marlin and Reisel are a mere 12 miles apart on Highway 6 in Central Texas, yet they are in totally separate regions. Riesel is in seven-team District 8-2A Division I, while Marlin is in seven-team 13-2A Division I. Odd numbered districts are always frowned upon because of the rotating bye, so my proposal is simple: move Marlin from 13-2A Division I to 8-2A Division I. This makes 8-2A Division I an eight-team district and 13-2A Division I a six-team district — even numbers! Additionally, Region IV currently has 29 teams and Region II has just 26 teams; moving Marlin out would add a team to Region II (26 teams) and drop Region IV to 28 teams.