Projecting the 2026 & 2027 FHSAA football classifications and districts

The Florida High School Athletic Association's decision to maintain required regular-season district contests for the 2026-27 and 2027-28 cycles sets the stage for significant realignment across all seven classifications, though the final membership numbers may not match the organization's projections. While the FHSAA presented data at November's Board of Directors meeting showing 488 total football programs across six classifications plus Rural, FloridaHSFootball.com projects just 470 schools will actually compete under FHSAA governance when the new alignment takes effect.

DISCLAIMER:

The following district and classification alignments represent FloridaHSFootball.com's projections based on publicly available enrollment data from the FHSAA website and the classification cutoff lines presented at the November Board of Directors meeting. These projections are NOT official FHSAA assignments and should not be treated as such. The FHSAA has not released tentative district assignments for the 2026-27 and 2027-28 cycles, which are expected near the Christmas holiday break. DO NOT CONTACT the FHSAA office regarding these projections, as they are our independent analysis and the association has made no official determinations at this time . Official assignments, when released, may differ significantly from our projections based on final enrollment verification, school membership decisions, and the FHSAA's own alignment criteria. These projections are provided for informational and discussion purposes only.

The 18-team gap suggests the FHSAA is anticipating returns from the Sunshine State Athletic Association that may not materialize. The association's higher projections, particularly in Class 1A (49 teams vs. our projected 29) and Rural (38 teams vs. our projected 32), indicate expectations for SSAA returns that remain unconfirmed. Meanwhile, four programs—Dixie County, Lemon Bay, Sneads, and Wewahitchka—have already been announced as joining the SSAA for the upcoming cycle, while approximately 70-plus schools are projected to remain in the independent organization.

Using enrollment data now available through the FHSAA's public-facing pages and the classification cutoff lines presented at the November meeting, our projections maintain the traditional four-region structure for Classes 6A through 2A, though district configurations vary significantly by classification. Classes 6A, 5A, and 4A each feature 16 districts organized into four regions of four districts each. Classes 3A and 2A scale down to 12 districts with three districts per region across four regions. Class 1A compresses to just six districts split between two regions (North and South), with District 1 utilizing a subdistrict format to manage geographic challenges. Rural classification abandons districts entirely, organizing 32 programs into four regions for playoff seeding purposes.

Official FHSAA tentative district assignments are expected to be released near the Christmas holiday break, at which point these projections can be compared against the association's finalized alignment decisions.

CLASS 6A

84 Teams (FHSAA Projects 85)

Our projection of 84 teams falls one short of the FHSAA's count, likely due to enrollment fluctuations or membership decisions. The classification maintains 16 districts across four regions with districts ranging from four to six teams. The most notable movement involves Matanzas, projected to move up from Class 5A to 6A for geographic proximity and travel considerations in District 1. This decision prioritizes keeping the program with Northeast Florida schools rather than strict enrollment adherence. District sizes vary significantly, with Region 1 and Region 4 featuring several four-team districts in the Treasure Coast and South Florida areas, while the I-4 corridor and Tampa Bay regions feature primarily six-team configurations reflecting population density.

REGION 1 (23 Schools)

DISTRICT 1

Atlantic Coast

Creekside

Flagler Palm Coast

Matanzas (moved from 5A to 6A for district closeness and travel)

Sandalwood

Tocoi Creek

DISTRICT 2

DeLand

Mainland

Seminole (Sanford)

Spruce Creek

University (Orange City)

DISTRICT 3

Colonial

Hagerty

Lake Brantley

Lake Mary

University (Orlando)

Winter Park

DISTRICT 4

Boone

Dr. Phillips

Freedom (Orlando)

Innovation

Olympia

Timber Creek

REGION 2 (23 Schools)

DISTRICT 5

Apopka

East Ridge

Horizon

Ocoee

West Orange

Windermere

DISTRICT 6

Celebration

Davenport

George Jenkins

Haines City

Ridge Community

Winter Haven

DISTRICT 7

Alonso

Durant

Newsome

Plant City

Riverview (Riverview)

Strawberry Crest

DISTRICT 8

Lakewood Ranch

Lehigh

North Port

Riverview (Sarasota)

Venice

REGION 3 (18 Schools)

DISTRICT 9

Cypress Creek (Orlando)

Harmony

Lake Nona

Poinciana

St. Cloud

Tohopekaliga

DISTRICT 10

Centennial

Fort Pierce Central

Treasure Coast

Vero Beach

DISTRICT 11

John I. Leonard

Jupiter

Lake Worth

Palm Beach Lakes

DISTRICT 12

Wellington

Palm Beach Central

Park Vista

Dr. Joaquin Garcia

REGION 4 (20 Schools)

DISTRICT 13

Boca Raton

Coral Glades

Spanish River

Stoneman Douglas

DISTRICT 14

Cypress Bay

Nova

West Broward

Western

DISTRICT 15

Columbus

Coral Gables

Doral Academy

Goleman

Hialeah Gardens

Miami

DISTRICT 16

Coral Reef

Ferguson

Homestead

Miami Palmetto

South Dade

Southwest Miami

CLASS 5A

93 Teams (FHSAA Projects 93)

Class 5A matches the FHSAA's projection exactly, suggesting this classification's enrollment projections prove most accurate. The 93 programs organize into 16 districts across four regions, with districts ranging from four to seven teams. Palm Harbor University represents the classification's notable enrollment anomaly—despite projections placing it in Class 6A, the program is projected for 5A's District 8 for travel efficiency, mirroring the Matanzas situation. This keeps Palm Harbor within Pinellas-Hillsborough counties rather than forcing longer 6A district travel. The classification features significant representation from Jacksonville (District 2's seven teams), Pasco County's growth corridor, and South Florida's traditional structure, with upcoming Wellen Park (projected enrollment 2,100) joining District 10 in the Manatee-Sarasota area.

REGION 1 (25 Schools)

DISTRICT 1

Crestview

Navarre

Niceville

Pace

Tate

DISTRICT 2

Bartram Trail

Beachside

First Coast

Fletcher

Mandarin

Nease

Oakleaf

DISTRICT 3

Buchholz

Belleview

Forest

Lake Minneola

South Lake

West Port

DISTRICT 4

East River

Edgewater

Evans

Lake Howell

Lyman

Oviedo

Wekiva

REGION 2 (23 Schools)

DISTRICT 5

Gateway (Kissimmee)

Lake Buena Vista

Melbourne

Oak Ridge

Osceola (Kissimmee)

Viera

DISTRICT 6

Armwood

Bartow

Bloomingdale

Lake Gibson

Lakeland

DISTRICT 7

Cypress Creek (Wesley Chapel)

Land O’ Lakes

Mitchell

Sunlake

Wesley Chapel

Wiregrass Ranch

DISTRICT 8

East Lake

Gaither

Largo

Palm Harbor University (Projected for 6A but moved for travel purposes in the district)

Sickles

Steinbrenner

REGION 3 (20 Schools)

DISTRICT 9

Lennard

Leto

Plant

Spoto

Sumner

Tampa Bay Tech

DISTRICT 10

Manatee

Palmetto

Parrish Community

Sarasota

Wellen Park (new school, projected 2,100)

DISTRICT 11

Cape Coral

Charlotte

Ida Baker

North Fort Myers

DISTRICT 12

East Lee County

Immokalee

Lehigh

Palmetto Ridge

Riverdale

REGION 4 (25 Schools)

DISTRICT 13

Dwyer

Martin County

Palm Beach Gardens

Royal Palm Beach

Santaluces

Seminole Ridge

DISTRICT 14

Boyd Anderson

Coral Springs

Deerfield Beach

Monarch

Piper

Taravella

West Boca Raton

DISTRICT 15

Archbishop McCarthy

Cooper City

Flanagan

Fort Lauderdale

South Plantation

St. Thomas Aquinas

DISTRICT 16

Braddock

Everglades

Miami Beach

Miami Coral Park

Miami Southridge

South Broward

CLASS 4A

96 Teams (FHSAA Projects 94)

Our projection of 96 teams exceeds the FHSAA's count by two, likely reflecting enrollment data showing more schools falling into the 1,503-1,899 range than initially anticipated. The classification maintains 16 districts across four regions, with all districts maintaining at least four teams. Lake Weir's projected return from SSAA membership impacts District 5's composition, joining Gainesville, Leesburg, Mount Dora, and Vanguard. District sizes range from four to seven teams, with Region 2 featuring the classification's smallest districts—District 8 (Fivay, Hudson, Springstead, Lecanto) and District 9 (Pasco, Zephyrhills, Gulf, River Ridge) each hold just four teams, while several other districts reach seven teams in Northeast Florida, Pinellas County, and South Florida. The two-team surplus suggests either schools projected for 5A coming in below the enrollment threshold or schools projected for 3A exceeding it.

REGION 1 (26 Schools)

DISTRICT 1

Booker T. Washington (Pensacola)

Choctawhatchee

Escambia

Fort Walton Beach

Gulf Breeze

Milton

DISTRICT 2

Arnold

Chiles

Leon

Lincoln

Mosley

Rickards

DISTRICT 3

Columbia

Ed White

Englewood

Ribault

Riverside

Terry Parker

Yulee

DISTRICT 4

Clay

Fleming Island

Middleburg

Orange Park

Ponte Vedra

Ridgeview

St. Augustine

REGION 2 (22 Schools)

DISTRICT 5

Gainesville

Lake Weir

Leesburg

Mount Dora

Vanguard

DISTRICT 6

Bishop Moore

Deltona

Jones

New Smyrna Beach

Pine Ridge

Seabreeze

Winter Springs

DISTRICT 7

Auburndale

Kathleen

Lake Region

Lake Wales

Liberty

Sebring

DISTRICT 8

Fivay

Hudson

Lecanto

Springstead

REGION 3 (21 Schools)

DISTRICT 9

Pasco

Zephryhills

Gulf

River Ridge

DISTRICT 10

Clearwater

Hollins

Northeast (St. Petersburg)

Osceola (Seminole)

Pinellas Park

Southeast

St. Petersburg

DISTRICT 11

Port Charlotte

Mariner

Fort Myers

Dunbar

South Fort Myers

DISTRICT 12

Golden Gate

Aubrey Rogers

Barron Collier

Gulf Coast

Estero

REGION 4 (27 Schools)

DISTRICT 13

Rockledge

Heritage (Palm Bay)

Sebastian River

Fort Pierce Westwood

Port St. Lucie

Jensen Beach

South Fork

DISTRICT 14

American Heritage (Plantation)

Atlantic (Delray Beach)

Blanche Ely

Coconut Creek

Forest Hill

Northeast (Oakland Park)

Plantation

DISTRICT 15

Dr. Krop

Miramar

Hollywood Hills

McArthur

Miami Norland

Pembroke Pines Charter

Somerset Academy (Pembroke Pines)

DISTRICT 16

Belen Jesuit

Hialeah

Mater Academy

North Miami

South Miami

Varela

CLASS 3A

75 Teams (FHSAA Projects 74)

Class 3A's projection of 75 teams exceeds the FHSAA's count by one, organizing into 12 districts across four regions with three districts per region. District sizes range from five to eight teams, with District 8 (Bayshore, Booker, Braden River, Countryside, Dunedin, Gibbs, Seminole-Seminole, Tarpon Springs) representing the classification's largest at eight teams spanning Pinellas and Manatee counties. The classification shows balanced geographic distribution from Panhandle through South Florida, with the three-district-per-region structure creating larger average district sizes compared to the four-district structure in higher classifications.

REGION 1 (17 Schools)

DISTRICT 1

Bay

Pensacola

Pine Forest

South Walton

West Florida

DISTRICT 2

Baker County

Eastside

Godby

Santa Fe

Suwannee

Wakulla

DISTRICT 3

Bishop Kenny

Menendez

Palatka

Raines

Westside

Wolfson

REGION 2 (19 Schools)

DISTRICT 4

Citrus

Crystal River

Dunnellon

Eustis

North Marion

Tavares

DISTRICT 5

Anclote

Central (Brooksville)

Hernando

Nature Coast

South Sumter

The Villages

Weeki Wachee

DISTRICT 6

Astronaut

Eau Gallie

Legacy (Port St. Lucie)

Merritt Island

Palm Bay

Titusville

REGION 3 (21 Schools)

DISTRICT 7

Chamberlain

Jefferson

King

Morgan

Mulberry

Robinson

Tenoroc

DISTRICT 8

Bayshore

Booker

Braden River

Countryside

Dunedin

Gibbs

Seminole (Seminole)

Tarpon Springs

DISTRICT 9

Bonita Springs

Cypress Lake

DeSoto County

Island Coast

Lely

Naples

REGION 4 (18 Schools)

DISTRICT 10

Boynton Beach

North Broward Prep

Pompano Beach

Somerset Canyons

Suncoast

DISTRICT 11

American

Calvary Christian (Fort Lauderdale)

Cardinal Gibbons

Dillard

North Miami Beach

Stranahan

DISTRICT 12

Key West

Miami Central

Miami Jackson

Miami Northwestern

Miami Springs

Reagan

St. Brendan

CLASS 2A

61 Teams (FHSAA Projects 55)

Class 2A shows the most significant variance in the upper classifications, with our projection of 61 teams exceeding the FHSAA's count by six. This discrepancy likely reflects the fluidity of membership at the 2A level, where enrollment fluctuations easily shift schools between 2A, 1A, and Rural. The classification organizes into 12 districts across four regions, all maintaining at least four teams. Private school concentration becomes apparent particularly in South Florida, where districts like District 9 (Chaminade-Madonna, Pine Crest, Saint Andrew's, St. John Paul II-Boca Raton) feature exclusively private programs. The six-team surplus suggests enrollment data pushing more programs into the 508-996 range than the FHSAA initially anticipated.

REGION 1 (15 Schools)

DISTRICT 1

Destin

Freeport

Pensacola Catholic

Walton

DISTRICT 2

Bozeman

Florida HIgh

Gadsden County

Marianna

North Bay Haven

Rutherford

DISTRICT 3

Andrew Jackson

Bolles

Baldwin

Episcopal

KIPP Bold City

REGION 2 (16 Schools)

DISTRICT 4

Bradford

Keystone Heights

Newberry

P.K. Yonge DRS

Trinity Catholic

DISTRICT 5

Cocoa

Cocoa Beach

The First Academy (Orlando)

Discovery

McLaughlin

DISTRICT 6

Berkeley Prep

Boca Ciega

Calvary Christian (Clearwater)

Clearwater Central Catholic

Lakewood

Tampa Catholic

REGION 3 (14 Schools)

DISTRICT 7

Avon Park

Bishop Verot

Cardinal Mooney

Lake Placid

Oasis

DISTRICT 8

Benjamin

Cardinal Newman

Glades Central

Inlet Grove

King’s Academy

DISTRICT 9

Chaminade-Madonna

Pine Crest

Saint Andrew’s

St. John Paul II (Boca Raton)

REGION 4 (16 Schools)

DISTRICT 10

Hallandale

Miami Carol City

Miami Edison

Monsignor Pace

DISTRICT 11

Booker T. Washington (Miami)

Gulliver Prep

Immaculata-La Salle

Miami Sunset

Ransom Everglades

DISTRICT 12

Archbishop Carroll

Coral Shores

Palmer Trinity

Somerset Silver Palms

Westminster Christian

CLASS 1A

29 Teams (FHSAA Projects 49)

Class 1A presents the most dramatic variance, with our projection of 29 teams falling 20 short of the FHSAA's count. This gap represents the clearest evidence of the association's optimistic SSAA return expectations. The projection includes Seffner Christian's anticipated return from SSAA membership to District 3 alongside schools with established FHSAA membership. The classification abandons the four-region structure for two regions (North and South) with six total districts, including District 1's subdistrict format splitting Tallahassee-area programs (Subdistrict West: FAMU DRS, Maclay, North Florida Christian) from Jacksonville-area programs (Subdistrict East: Impact Christian, North Florida Educational, Providence, Trinity Christian-Jacksonville, University Christian). All districts maintain at least four teams with exclusively private and charter school membership, reflecting enrollment realities where few public schools maintain the 44-492 range without falling into Rural classification.

REGION 1 (NORTH) (16 Schools)

DISTRICT 1

Subdistrict West

FAMU DRS

Maclay

North Florida Christian

Subdistrict East

Impact Christian

North Florida Educational

Providence

Trinity Christian (Jacksonville)

University Christian

DISTRICT 2

Father Lopez

John Carroll

Melbourne Central Catholic

Orlando Christian Prep

DISTRICT 3

Lakeland Christian

Victory Christian

Zephyrhills Christian

Seffner Christian

REGION 2 (13 Schools)

DISTRICT 4

Carrollwood Day

Indian Rocks Christian

St. Petersburg Catholic

Northside Christian

DISTRICT 5

Community School

Evangelical Christian

First Baptist (Naples)

Southwest Florida Christian

St. John Neumann

DISTRICT 6

BridgePrep Village Green

Somerset Academy Key

Somerset South Homestead

True North

CLASS RURAL

32 Teams (FHSAA Projects 38)

Rural classification's projection of 32 teams falls six short of the FHSAA's count, primarily reflecting the four programs already announced as joining SSAA (Dixie County, Lemon Bay, Sneads, Wewahitchka) plus potentially additional enrollment adjustments. The classification abandons district structure entirely, organizing 32 programs into four regions of eight teams each for playoff seeding purposes. This no-district format allows maximum scheduling flexibility during the regular season while maintaining regional organization for playoff brackets. Each region's eight teams will be ranked using FHSAA's system, with top teams advancing to state playoffs.

REGION 1 (8 SCHOOLS)

Baker

Central (Milton)

Chipley

Graceville

Holmes County

Jay

Northview

Vernon

REGION 2 (8 SCHOOLS)

Blountstown

Cottondale

Jefferson County

Lafayette

Liberty County

Madison County

Port St. Joe

Taylor County

REGION 3 (8 SCHOOLS)

Branford

Chiefland

Fort White

Hamilton County

Hilliard

Trenton

Union County

Williston

REGION 4 (8 SCHOOLS)

Crescent City

Fort Meade

Hawthorne

Marathon

Moore Haven

Pahokee

Taylor (Pierson)

Wildwood

PROJECTED TO STAY IN SSAA

American Heritage (Delray Beach)

Atlantic (Port Orange)

Aucilla Christian

Babcock

Bayside

Bell

Bishop McLaughlin

Boca Raton Christian

Bronson

Cambridge Christian

Canterbury (Fort Myers)

Cedar Creek Christian

Central Florida Christian

Christ’s Church Academy

Clewiston

Coral Springs Charter

Cornerstone Charter

Duval Charter

Eagle’s View

Faith Christian

Fernandina Beach

Florida Christian

Foundation Academy

Franklin County

Frostproof

Gateway Charter

Geneva

Glades Day

Halifax Academy

Hardee

Harvest Community

Holy Trinity

Interlachen

Jupiter Christian

Keswick Christian

LaBelle

Lake Highland Prep

Lighthouse PCA

Marco Island Academy

Master’s Academy (Vero Beach)

Mount Dora Christian

Mourning

NSU University School

Oak Hall

Old Plank Christian

Orangewood Christian

Out-of-Door

Oxbridge Academy

Paxon

Rocky Bayou Christian

Saint Stephen’s Episcopal

Santa Fe Catholic

Sarasota Christian

Satellite

Seven Rivers Christian

Space Coast

St. Edward’s

St. Joseph

Stanton

The Master’s Academy (Oviedo)

Tradition Prep

Trinity Prep

Umatilla

West Nassau

Westminster Academy

Windermere Prep

JOINING THE SSAA

Dixie County

Lemon Bay

Sneads

Wewahitchka

CLOSING

The 2026-27 and 2027-28 classification and district alignment represent both continuity and change for Florida high school football. While the FHSAA maintains required regular-season district play through Option A which was chosen, the organization faces continued membership challenges as schools weigh FHSAA versus SSAA affiliation. Our projection of 470 total programs across seven classifications falls 18 teams short of the FHSAA's 488-team count, with gaps concentrated in classifications where SSAA membership has proven most attractive.

The projections account for Seffner Christian's anticipated return to 1A and Lake Weir's move back to 4A from SSAA membership, while the four programs already announced as joining SSAA (Dixie County, Lemon Bay, Sneads, Wewahitchka) impact the overall counts. Approximately 70-plus schools are projected to remain in SSAA membership, creating a parallel competitive structure that continues to fragment Florida's high school football landscape.

Official FHSAA tentative district assignments are expected near the Christmas holiday break, at which point these projections can be verified against the association's finalized decisions. The 18-team variance between FHSAA projections and our count underscores the uncertainty surrounding membership, particularly in Class 1A, where the 20-team gap suggests the association anticipates SSAA returns that have not been confirmed. These projections represent our best estimates based on available enrollment data and confirmed organizational memberships, though final alignments may require adjustment as schools finalize their commitments through early 2026.