Here's what the NCHSAA's new Big 32 classification model means for Wilmington-area teams
Another change to the way high school athletics teams are classified in the state of North Carolina is coming.
In Tuesday's NCHSAA board of directors meeting, the board unanimously approved adopting a Big 32 model, which will put the state's 32 largest schools into a single classification.
The decision comes after the board approved an eight-class system, which will go into affect in the 2025-26 school year, in 2023. Currently, all of the state's 437 public high schools compete in one of four classes.
The reclassification process uses each school's average daily membership numbers, which are updated at the beginning of each school year. For Wilmington, two teams could find themselves in the new classification
Here's everything you need to know about what the NCHSAA's new Big 32 Conference means for Wilmington-area high schools.
PLAYOFF UPDATES Wilmington-area spring high school playoffs: Scores, brackets for NCHSAA and NCISAA sports
MIDEASTERN CONFERENCE TRACK New Hanover's Cashmere James dominates at Mideastern Conference track and field championship
Will Wilmington-area teams join the Big 32 conference
According to current AMD numbers, Laney and Hoggard would join the new classification model. They would join schools like Adrey Kell and Myers Park, North Carolina's largest public high schools, in the classification.
Teams in the Big 32 classification will fall into the 8A class, while all other schools would fit into the 1-7A classes.
Ashley and Topsail, currently a part of the state's largest classification, would move to the 7A classification.
What does this mean for the Mideastern Conference?
The Mideastern Conference, which features teams from New Hanover to Brunswick and Pender Counties, is currently a split 3A/4A conference.
With Laney and Hoggard moving to 8A, Ashley and Topsail would move to the 7A classification, if current AMD numbers hold. New Hanover would be 5A (Although the Wildcats could find themselves in the 6A classification once new numbers come out), while North Brunswick, South Brunswick and West Brunswick would all move to the 4A classification.
That would make four separate classifications in the Mideastern Conference. While the committee ideally would like just two classifications per conference, it recognized that may not be possible in some parts of the state.
How will the playoffs work?
Much of the criteria for how the state playoffs will work, including qualification requirements, has not been determined.
In the Big 32 Conference, 24-28 teams will make up playoff brackets. In classes 2-7A, the current 32 team bracket in place will remain. For teams in the 1A classification, a 16 team playoff bracket will be used.
This article originally appeared on Wilmington StarNews: What is the NCHSAA's new Big 32 model, and who's in it?
