The high school football classification is here: See Northeast Florida's 2024 districts

Northeast Florida's new football districts are here.

The Florida High School Athletic Association released its high school football district assignments for the 2024 and 2025 seasons, including several major changes for Jacksonville-area teams in the first reclassification since the FHSAA abolished the Metro-Suburban system earlier in December.

It's part of the new look for high school football across the First Coast for the next two seasons, although it might not be final: Schools may still appeal their classifications through Jan. 12 under FHSAA Policy 12.

The FHSAA based its new districts on enrollment numbers for the 2023-24 school year.

Statewide view: What to know: FHSAA releases new high school football classifications

WHAT WAS THE PREVIOUS FHSAA SYSTEM?

The Metro-Suburban system instituted two years ago didn't last long.

After the 2021 season, the FHSAA split the football teams from the eight most populated counties (Duval, Seminole, Orange, Hillsborough, Pinellas, Palm Beach, Broward and Miami-Dade) into the Metro division, with other schools in a Suburban division. The association instituted the move in an attempt to improve competitive balance.

Although the FHSAA postseason indeed became more competitive statistically under Metro-Suburban, the split also drew opposition, particularly from South Florida.

In an emergency meeting called Dec. 12, the board of directors voted 9-4 to end the Metro-Suburban system, returning to a classification based upon student enrollment numbers.

The new system, in some ways, looks a lot like the structure in place prior to the Metro-Suburban adoption in the winter of 2021-22: seven standard classes, numbered from 7A to 1A, and a separate 32-team rural class of four regions. Classes 7A through 1A are divided into 16 districts apiece.

That broad division, 112 districts in all, leaves several Northeast Florida teams in three-team mini-districts. Those include District 1-7A (Atlantic Coast, Creekside, Sandalwood), District 4-4A (Englewood, Riverside, White), District 2-3A (Baker County, Tallahassee Godby, Wakulla), District 3-3A (Raines, Ribault, Yulee) and District 3-1A (Impact Christian, Providence, University Christian).

The FHSAA said earlier this month that teams must schedule games against all district opponents during the regular season. The association did not address the possibility to a district tournament in the final two weeks, which was a portion of the original plan.

MANDARIN, SANDALWOOD SPLIT UP

For the first time since the start of the 21st century, Mandarin and Sandalwood will be competing in different districts.

Because of a decrease in enrollment, Class 4M finalist Mandarin dropped down to District 2-6A alongside First Coast, Fletcher and Oakleaf. Sandalwood now occupies District 1-7A with Atlantic Coast, now Duval County's most populous school, and Creekside.

The last time Mandarin and Sandalwood played in different districts was 2000, when Sandalwood played in District 1-6A and Mandarin occupied District 2-5A in the old six-class arrangement.

NORTHEAST FLORIDA TEAMS ON THE MOVE

With the end of Metro-Suburban, every team is changing its district to some degree, but here are some of the changes that jump out.

• Another strong district: District 2-6A contains state runner-up Mandarin, two more playoff teams from the Gateway Conference (First Coast and Fletcher) as well as a Oakleaf team that shows signs of improvement. Mandarin and Fletcher last played in the same district in 2012.

• Beachside, an independent for its first two years, moves into District 3-5A for the first time. They'll encounter a natural rival in Ponte Vedra, along with the Clay County trio of Fleming Island, Middleburg and Orange Park.

• St. Augustine, Class 3S runner-up earlier this month, now lines up against 2022 state semifinalist Columbia in a District 3-4A that also has Clay and Ridgeview.

• Teams will be racking up the mileage in the new District 2-3A: Baker County, Tallahassee Godby and Wakulla. A round trip from Baker County to Wakulla consists of more than 300 miles.

• Both Fort White and Union County have gained numbers and no longer qualify for the Rural division, moving to District 4-1A alongside P.K. Yonge and a powerful Williston team coached by former Union County state champion Robby Pruitt. Hilliard is now the only remaining Rural team in Northeast Florida.

WHAT'S THE TOUGHEST JACKSONVILLE-AREA DISTRICT?

Take your pick.

One early candidate, though: the new District 3-6A. Bartram Trail and Gainesville Buchholz, who have met in consecutive regional finals, are drawn into the same district once more.

Add Nease, which returns the area's receiving leader in Maddox Spencer, and a Tocoi Creek team that narrowly missed postseason and continues to grow at a rapid race, and the result might be the most hotly-contested district on the First Coast.

WHICH NEW JACKSONVILLE TEAMS ARE INCLUDED?

The FHSAA's Class 1A list included Seacoast Christian, which did not compete in 11-man football last year, as well as Impact Christian, a 2023 independent. KIPP Bold City and St. Johns Classical are also listed as 11-man independents for the first time.

The FHSAA did not list Eagle's View, which recorded a 4-6 record last year. Athletic director Zachary Shank confirmed to the Times-Union that the school will be competing in the Sunshine State Athletic Association.

Teams still have the option of withdrawing from districts and competing as an independent for the two-year cycle.

WHAT QUESTIONS REMAIN ABOUT 2024 FHSAA RECLASSIFICATION?

The districts are in place for 2024 and 2025, but the path to the playoffs still remains unclear.

The FHSAA has yet to specify the structure for the playoffs in 2024, or how teams other than district champions will advance to the field. That could involve at-large selections through the MaxPreps ranking system, or a return to the older system of selecting both district runners-up along with district champions.

Also uncertain is whether the FHSAA will adopt an eight-team open division for the teams placed highest in the ranking formula at season's end. The association had originally planned to vote on that proposal earlier this month, but deferred a decision to a later date.

NORTHEAST FLORIDA 2024 AND 2025 FOOTBALL DISTRICTS

DISTRICT 1-7A

Atlantic Coast, Creekside, Sandalwood

DISTRICT 2-6A

First Coast, Fletcher, Mandarin, Oakleaf

DISTRICT 3-6A

Bartram Trail, Gainesville Buchholz, Nease, Tocoi Creek

DISTRICT 3-5A

Beachside, Fleming Island, Middleburg, Orange Park, Ponte Vedra

DISTRICT 3-4A

Clay, Columbia, Ridgeview, St. Augustine

DISTRICT 4-4A

Englewood, Riverside, White

DISTRICT 2-3A

Baker County, Tallahassee Godby, Wakulla

DISTRICT 3-3A

Raines, Ribault, Yulee

DISTRICT 4-3A

Bishop Kenny, Menendez, Parker, Westside

DISTRICT 3-2A

Florida High, Gadsden County, Suwannee, Taylor County

DISTRICT 4-2A

Baldwin, Bolles, Fernandina Beach, Jackson, West Nassau, Wolfson

DISTRICT 5-2A

Bradford, Crescent City, Keystone Heights, Newberry, Palatka

DISTRICT 2-1A

Episcopal, NFEI, Seacoast Christian, Trinity Christian

DISTRICT 3-1A

Impact Christian, Providence, University Christian

DISTRICT 4-1A

Fort White, P.K. Yonge, Union County, Williston

DISTRICT 3-RURAL

Aucilla Christian, Branford, Dixie County, Hamilton County, Hilliard, Jefferson County, Madison County, Mayo Lafayette

INDEPENDENT

Bishop Snyder, Cedar Creek Christian, Christ's Church, KIPP Bold City, Paxon, Stanton, St. Johns Classical, St. Joseph

This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: FHSAA 2024-26 football classification: Jacksonville-area districts