UIL Announces Split Divisions in Class 5A Football For Entire Alignment Period

The University Interscholastic League announced Wednesday that Class 5A football will be split into two divisions, based on enrollment, beginning with the 2018 season.

The UIL did the same for 4A-1A in 2014, creating 16 districts for both Division I and Division II.

The 5A proposal was put to a vote among state superintendents last year, and the results were released Wednesday. The balloted referendum passed, 144-77.

The current alignment, which expires following the 2017-18 school year, consists of 262 schools in 5A. The conference's enrollments are between 1,100 and 2,149 students.

The numbers will obviously fluctuate before realignment in February of 2018, but using the current figures as a model, the cutoff between 5A Division I and Division II would be around 1,800.

Texarkana-based Texas High, which turned in an enrollment of 1,914 before the 2016 UIL realignment, would be the only East Texas school classified in 5A Division I in 2018.

The most likely scenario would have Texas High share a football district with schools in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex, such as 15-5A, currently comprised of the similarly populated Highland Park, West Mesquite, Mesquite Poteet, and Wylie East.

Texas High's furthest district opponent now is Greenville at 131 miles, while its closest is Marshall (75 miles). One-way trips to Highland Park, Mesquite, and Wylie ISD's would all exceed 160 miles.