OSSAA approves 2024-25 and 2025-26 football districts featuring splits in Classes 2A-B
Twelve Oklahoma high school football state championship games are set to take place in 2024.
The Oklahoma Secondary School Activities Association Board of Directors approved Wednesday the football districts for the 2024-25 and 2025-26 school years. The biggest change is the number of classifications, which is expanding from nine to 12.
Classes 2A, A and B will each split in half, resembling the way Class 6A has broken into 6A-I and 6A-II. This means the OSSAA will distribute three more state championship trophies than before.
After the Board of Directors’ Wednesday meeting, an OSSAA representative announced in an email that the Oklahoma Football Coaches Association had mistakenly provided the wrong district recommendations for Class 6A-I. The OFBCA has since shared the correct recommendations, which the Board will need to approve at its September meeting.
Approval for districts in every other classification is final.
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How many teams are playing?
OSSAA staff member Trinity Johnson, who presides over football, said 340 schools are participating in football for the 2024-25 and 2025-26 district cycle.
This includes 260 11-man programs and 80 eight-man programs.
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Who chooses districts?
A district selection committee consists of five members, Johnson said. In a standard four-district classification, this includes one representative from each district and one at-large representative.
When creating districts, committee members considered teams’ recent success and their geographic locations.
What are some notable moves?
Piedmont is continuing to grow rapidly. The Wildcats will move from Class 5A to Class 6A-II in 2024-25.
Tulsa Booker T. Washington’s average daily membership has decreased. The Hornets are dropping from Class 6A-II to 5A.
Mid-Del Public Schools rivals Midwest City and Del City will compete in the same football district starting in 2024-25.
In its first season of OSSAA district play, Casady will compete in 2A-I-1.
How does Rule 14 affect districts?
The OSSAA’s recently updated Rule 14, which aims to create competitive balance between public and private schools, has led to some changes.
Rule 14’s success factor means that if a private school has finished in the top four in a given classification during two of the past three years, then it will move up a classification.
Five private schools are moving up in 2024-25:
McGuinness to 6A-II
Tulsa Holland Hall to 4A
Heritage Hall to 4A
Tulsa Lincoln Christian to 4A
Tulsa Metro Christian to 3A (Technically, Metro Christian bumped up to 3A in 2022 because of success. ADM alone would place the Patriots in Class 2A-I, but success keeps them bumped up into 3A.)
To balance the classifications, the least successful public school in a class will bump down into a spot the private school previously occupied, per Rule 14. Johnson said the district selection committees looked at the percentages of district games won and lost over the past three years to determine these teams.
Six public schools are moving down in 2024-25. This is happening because ADM-wise, McGuinness would have fallen into Class 4A, but it instead moves up to 6A-II under Rule 14. When Putnam West drops one spot from 6A-II to 5A, then a 5A team must drop to 4A to fill McGuinness’ spot. Essentially, McGuinness’ move leads to two public school moves.
Putnam West to 5A
Tulsa Nathan Hale to 4A
Woodward to 3A
Bridge Creek to 3A
Douglass to 3A (Douglass previously competed here, but ADM alone would have bumped Douglass up to 4A.)
Inola to 2A-I
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What are the district assignments?
Class 6A-I (to be approved in September)
District 1: Jenks, Bixby, Edmond North, Enid, Moore, Mustang, Norman North, Southmoore
District 2: Owasso, Broken Arrow, Edmond Memorial, Edmond Santa Fe, Norman, Westmoore, Tulsa Union, Yukon
Class 6A-II (approved)
District 1: Deer Creek, McGuinness, Choctaw, Lawton Eisenhower, Lawton, Putnam City, Putnam North, U.S. Grant
District 2: Stillwater, Bartlesville, Capitol Hill, Muskogee, Northwest Classen, Piedmont, Ponca City, Sand Springs
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Class 5A
District 1: Midwest City, Altus, Del City, Duncan, Elgin, Lawton MacArthur, Southeast, Western Heights
District 2: Carl Albert, El Reno, Guthrie, Guymon, John Marshall, Noble, Putnam West, Shawnee
District 3: Sapulpa, Tulsa Kelley, Coweta, Durant, Tulsa East Central, Tulsa Edison, Glenpool, McAlester
District 4: Tahlequah, Tulsa Booker T. Washington, Claremore, Collinsville, Grove, Tulsa Memorial, Pryor, Tulsa Will Rogers
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Class 4A
District 1: Chickasha, Cache, Classen SAS, Clinton, Elk City, Heritage Hall, Newcastle, Weatherford
District 2: Blanchard, Ardmore, Bethany, Cushing, Harrah, Madill, Tecumseh, Tuttle
District 3: Wagoner, Catoosa, Fort Gibson, Tulsa Lincoln Christian, Tulsa McLain, Miami, Oologah-Talala, Skiatook
District 4: Ada, Broken Bow, Hilldale, Tulsa Holland Hall, Tulsa Nathan Hale, Poteau, Sallisaw, Stilwell
Class 3A
District 1: Seminole, Anadarko, Kingfisher, McLoud, North Rock Creek, Perkins-Tryon, Purcell, Woodward
District 2: Marlow, Bridge Creek, Dickson, Douglass, Lone Grove, Pauls Valley, Plainview, Sulphur
District 3: Muldrow, Tulsa Central, Checotah, Eufaula, Locust Grove, Mannford, Tulsa Metro Christian, Stigler
District 4: Bristow, Berryhill, Sequoyah Claremore, Cleveland, Dewey, Jay, Verdigris, Vinita
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Class 2A-I
District 1: Millwood, Bethel, Blackwell, Casady, Chisholm, Crossings Christian, Jones, Star Spencer
District 2: Washington, Crooked Oak, Kingston, Lindsay, Little Axe, Marietta, Mount St. Mary, Oklahoma Christian School
District 3: Beggs, Chandler, Henryetta, Inola, Prague, Sequoyah Tahlequah, Sperry, Westville
District 4: Okmulgee, Tulsa Cascia Hall, Tulsa Daniel Webster, Heavener, Hugo, Idabel, Roland, Tulsa Victory Christian
Class 2A-II
District 1: Community Christian, Alva, Hennessey, Kellyville, Kiefer, Luther, Newkirk, Perry
District 2: Lexington, Coalgate, Comanche, Davis, Frederick, Hinton, Holdenville, Tishomingo
District 3: Salina, Adair, Caney Valley, Chelsea, Colcord, Commerce, Kansas, Owasso Rejoice Christian
District 4: Atoka, Antlers, Keys (Park Hill), Morris, Spiro, Valliant, Vian, Wilburton
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Class A-I
District 1: Watonga, Crescent, Fairview, Hooker, Merritt, Minco, Sayre, Texhoma
District 2: Cashion, Christian Heritage, Dibble, Hobart, Meeker, Stratford, Walters, Wynnewood
District 3: Pawhuska, Chouteau-Mazie, Hulbert, Mounds, Nowata, Pawnee, Tonkawa, Wyandotte
District 4: Stroud, Hartshorne, Haskell, Okemah, Panama, Pocola, Warner, Wewoka
Class A-II
District 1: Thomas-Fay-Custer, Apache, Carnegie, Cordell, Mangum, Mooreland, Rush Springs, Southwest Covenant
District 2: Allen, Elmore City-Pernell, Empire, Healdton, Konawa, Ringling, Wayne, Wilson
District 3: Drumright, Central Sallisaw, Gore, Liberty, Morrison, Porter Consolidated, Tulsa Regent Prep, Talihina
District 4: Afton, Fairland, Hominy, Ketchum, Oklahoma Union, Quapaw, Broken Arrow Summit Christian, Woodland
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Class B-I
District 1: Laverne, Burns Flat-Dill City, Pioneer-Pleasant Vale, Ringwood, Shattuck, Turpin
District 2: Snyder, Central Marlow, Cyril, Hollis, Velma-Alma, Waurika
District 3: Barnsdall, Dewar, Foyil, Garber, Porum, Yale
District 4: Savanna, Caddo, Canadian, Quinton, Weleetka, Wetumka
Class B-II
District 1: Okeene, Balko/Forgan, Canton, Cherokee, Seiling, Waukomis
District 2: Pond Creek-Hunter, Covington-Douglas, Coyle, Kremlin-Hillsdale, Oklahoma Bible, Bartlesville Wesleyan Christian
District 3: Maud, Davenport, Depew, Olive, Strother, Thackerville
District 4: Arkoma, Cave Springs, Gans, Keota, Webbers Falls, Wilson (Henryetta)
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Class C
District 1: Tyrone, Beaver, Billings, Boise City, Buffalo, Sharon-Mutual, Timberlake, Waynoka
District 2: Mountain View-Gotebo, Alex, Clinton Corn Bible, Geary, Grandfield, Ryan, Temple, Tipton
District 3: Medford, Bluejacket, Copan, Deer Creek-Lamont, Oaks Mission, South Coffeyville, Watts, Welch
District 4: Maysville, Bowlegs, Bray-Doyle, Fox, Graham-Dustin, Midway, Paoli, Sasakwa
This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: OSSAA approves 2024-25, 2025-26 football districts with 12 classes
