The S.C. High School League on Friday released its new-look classifications that will be in effect for two years starting with fall sports in 2026.

Class 5A once again will be one single classification after being split into two divisions over the last two sports seasons. And Class A has 66 schools, the most of any classification. Class A is made up of the state’s smallest schools.

Biggest changes from realignment

Gray Collegiate is moving up to Class 5A. The War Eagles, a public charter program, were in Class 4A in the most recent realignment and in Class 2A before that. The War Eagles opened up a second campus in Irmo earlier this year.

Other big moves include:

Class 5A: South Florence is making the move from Class 4A to Class 5A.

Class 4A: Irmo, TL Hanna, Westwood, Catawba Ridge, Nation Ford and Gaffney are among the schools moving down from Class 5A to 4A. Legion Collegiate, in Rock Hill, is re-entering the SCHSL and will be in Class 4A.

Lake Wylie, which is opening in 2026, will be in Class 4A. Clover High, which is splitting to form Lake Wylie, also will be in Class 4A.

Class 3A: Schools dropping from Class 4A to 3A include Airport, Camden, Hartsville, Darlington, Lower Richland and Gilbert. Oceanside Collegiate, another powerhouse charter school, will stay in Class 3A.

Legacy Early College, located in Greenville, will be in Class 3A when it enters the league in 2026. Legacy, which doesn’t offer a full slate of sports, is ineligible for championships in its first year, but will be able to compete after that.

Class 2A: Schools dropping classification down to 2A include Mountain View Prep, Clinton, Keenan and Newberry.

Class A: Schools dropping from Class 2A into the new-look Class A include North Central, Fairfield Central, Hampton County, Eau Claire, Batesburg-Leesville, Marion and Mullins.

Below is a breakdown of each new class. Schools are listed in order of size and with total enrollment. And the SCHSL still uses a multiplier: Students from outside that school’s attendance zone are counted as three toward the enrollment.

Class 5A

1. Dorman High 2,929

2. Summerville High 2,729

3. Carolina Forest High 2,635

4. James F Byrnes High 2,547

5. Spring Valley High 2,336

6. Boiling Springs High 2,197

7. West Ashley High 2,177

8. Wando High 2,147

9. Mauldin High 2,143

10. Lexington High 2,132

11. Stratford High 2,087

12. Ashley Ridge High 2,056

13. James Island Charter High 2,013

14. Wade Hampton High 1,962

15. Cane Bay High 1,961

16. River Bluff High 1,958

17. West Florence High 1,877

18. Fort Dorchester High 1,871

19. Berkeley High 1,830

20. Blythewood High 1,829

21. Spartanburg High 1,812

22. J L Mann High Academy 1,793

23. Sumter High 1,764

24. Rock Hill High 1,753

25. Socastee High 1,752

26. Hillcrest High 1,747

27. R B Stall High 1,740

28. Eastside High 1,717

29. Dutch Fork High 1,708

30. South Florence High 1,708

31. Fort Mill High 1,681

32. Woodmont High 1,675

33. Gray Collegiate Academy 1,640

34. Ridge View High 1,630

35. Chapin High 1,628

36. White Knoll High 1,610

37. Northwestern High 1,571

38. Goose Creek High 1,566

39. Indian Land High 1,540

40. Lucy Beckham High 1,458

Class 4A

1. T L Hanna High 1,561

2. Conway High 1,557

3. Nation Ford High 1,534

4. Wilson High 1,517

5. Gaffney High 1,505

6. St. James High 1,464

7. Fountain Inn High 1,449

8. Greenwood High 1,442

9. Lugoff Elgin High 1,419

10. May River High 1,407

11. Riverside High 1,396

12. Westwood High 1,392

13. North Myrtle Beach High 1,386

14. Catawba Ridge High 1,377

15. North Augusta High 1,374

16. Irmo High 1,356

17. Easley High 1,354

18. Greenville High 1,345

19. Westside High 1,338

20. South Aiken High 1,297

21. Midland Valley High 1,267

22. South Pointe High 1,261

23. Fox Creek High 1,256

24. Richland Northeast High 1,254

25. Dreher High 1,235

26. Bluffton High 1,216

27. Myrtle Beach High 1,198

28. Travelers Rest High 1,192

29. York Comprehensive High 1,192

30. Aiken High 1,188

31. Legion Collegiate Academy 1,171

32. Greer High 1,145

33. Lake Wylie High School 1,132

34. Greenville Tech Charter Hi 1,113

35. A.C. Flora High 1,100

36. Laurens Dist 55 High 1,091

37. Clover High 1,075

38. Lancaster High 1,062

39. Brookland-Cayce High 1,058

40. Beaufort High 1,044

41. Hilton Head Island High 983

42. Colleton County High 981

Class 3A

1. Airport High 1,042

2. Wren High 1,030

3. D W Daniel High 1,024

4. Greer Middle College 1,022

5. Pickens High 986

6. Lower Richland High 982

7. Blue Ridge High 974

8. Berea High 966

9. Walhalla High 960

10. Gilbert High 955

11. Hartsville High 945

12. Southside High 933

13. Emerald High 928

14. Brashier Middle College 926

15. Crestwood High 901

16. Camden High 890

17. Hanahan High 887

18. Aynor High 881

19. Powdersville High 877

20. Darlington High 876

21. Legacy Early College 873

22. Bridges Preparatory School 853

23. Atlantic Collegiate Academy 846

24. N Charleston High 842

25. Palmetto High 839

26. GREEN Upstate High School Greenville 834

27. Seneca High 831

28. Chapman High 827

29. Oceanside Collegiate Academy 805

30. Georgetown High 797

31. Broome High 794

32. Union County High 791

33. Belton Honea Path High 781

34. Lakewood High 779

35. Christ Church Episcopal 777

36. Bishop England High School 763

37. Marlboro County High 761

38. Pendleton High 757

39. Swansea High 745

40. Loris High 738

Class 2A

1. Charleston Charter Math/Science 759

2. Battery Creek High 736

3. Woodruff High 723

4. Orangeburg Wilkinson High 721

5. Carolina Academy (High) 711

6. St. Joseph’s High 709

7. Mountain View Preparatory 703

8. High Point Academy 701

9. Waccamaw High 698

10. Clinton High 686

11. Landrum High 672

12. American Leadership Academy SC-Lexington 671

13. Chesnee High 666

14. Keenan High 666

15. Horse Creek Academy 665

16. West-Oak High 662

17. Southside Christian School 660

18. Philip Simmons High 654

19. Crescent High 642

20. York Preparatory Academy 609

21. Newberry High 607

22. Pelion High 604

23. Strom Thurmond High 604

24. Woodland High 600

25. Silver Bluff High 597

26. Dillon High School 596

27. Andrew Jackson High 588

28. Liberty High 588

29. Academic Magnet High 575

30. Columbia High 572

31. Lake City High 570

32. Manning High 568

33. Timberland High 564

34. Lake Marion High 559

35. Saluda High 548

36. Mid-Carolina High 546

37. East Clarendon Middle-High 532

38. Palmetto Scholars Academy 525

39. Central High 513

40. Chester Sr High 511

41. Blacksburg High 492

Class A

1. Ninety Six High 489

2. Hampton County High 487

3. Fairfield Central High 485

4. Kingstree High 479

5. Barnwell High 472

6. Buford High 456

7. North Central High 454

8. Batesburg-Leesville High 453

9. Burke High 453

10. Mullins High 449

11. Edisto High 439

12. Cheraw High 437

13. Eau Claire High 436

14. Marion High 433

15. Riverwalk Academy 428

16. Chesterfield High 410

17. Latta High 401

18. Andrews High 393

19. Bamberg-Ehrhardt High 365

20. Virtus Academy of South Carolina 361

21. Abbeville High 348

22. Whale Branch Early College 343

23. Carvers Bay 342

24. Dixie High 331

25. Hannah-Pamplico 330

26. Lee Central 328

27. Ridgeland Secondary Academy of Excellence 328

28. Johnsonville 325

29. Lewisville High 323

30. Green Sea Floyds 305

31. Hardeeville 305

32. St John’s High 303

33. CA Johnson High 297

34. Calhoun County 296

35. Royal Live Oaks Academy of the Arts and Sciences 282

36. McBee 262

37. Baptist Hill 261

38. Clear Dot Charter 249

39. Ridge Spring-Monetta 247

40. Thornwell Charter School 232

41. Coastal High 231

42. Wagener-Salley High 220

43. Lake View High 212

44. Lamar High 211

45. Lowcountry Leadership Charter School 209

46. Polaris Tech Charter School 193

47. Ware Shoals High 193

48. Whitmire 193

49. Military Magnet Academy 185

50. Scott’s Branch High 179

51. Allendale Fairfax High 177

52. Williston-Elko High 176

53. Bethune-Bowman Middle/High 163

54. Great Falls High 158

55. Branchville High 154

56. Cross 145

57. Governor’s School for Science and Mathematics 138

58. Denmark Olar High 136

59. Hemingway High 123

60. McCormick High 119

61. Hunter-Kinard-Tyler High 115

62. Blackville-Hilda High 104

63. North Middle/High 99

64. Midlands STEM Charter School 96

65. Calhoun Falls Charter School 94

66. SC School For the Deaf and the Blind High 44

What is realignment? Where are the new regions?

Realignment happens in the state every two years and attempts to level the competitive playing field among schools.

This year’s realignment is based on 45-day enrollment numbers from grades 9-11. This year’s formula also featured an out-of-zone multiplier for the second time. That multiplier took each student who lives outside of the school’s assigned attendance zone and counted them as three for total enrollment purposes.

During this year’s realignment, it also was decided that Class A (league’s smallest classification) would have the most teams in it, between 62 and 74 schools, with the chance of being split for sports that have more than 45 participating schools. Other classifications would between 36 and 44 schools.

Schools will have a chance to appeal their realignment next month. After that process is over, then region placement can occur. Schools then will be able to appeal region placement.

Any school wishing to appeal its classification placement to the SCHSL Executive Committee must submit it in writing by 1 p.m. on Jan. 7. Appeals will be heard Jan. 13-14. A second appeal, if necessary, would go before the Appellate Panel on Jan. 15-16.

Region placements will be sent will be sent out Jan. 23. Appeals to classification executive committee will be Feb. 3-5 and then to the SCHSL Executive Committee on Feb. 10 and Appellate panel on Feb. 12.

December 24, 2025 | State, The (Columbia, SC)
Author/Byline: Lou Bezjak; Staff Writer | Page: 1B | Section: Sports