MIDVALE — Utah high schools will be evaluated using a combination of enrollment, socioeconomic factors and athletic performance when the Utah High School Activities Association begins determining classifications and regions for the 2027-29 alignment cycle later this year.
The UHSAA Board of Trustees has finalized the formats and procedures governing its next statewide realignment, which occurs every two years and determines the classifications and regions in which member schools compete.
The new process will use a Composite Realignment Index, or CRI, to initially place schools into classifications. The index combines school enrollment, socioeconomic status and competitive performance. Schools with higher CRI scores will generally be placed in higher classifications, while those with lower scores will be placed in lower classifications.
That means Cache Valley and Northern Utah schools could see their classification placement affected by more than enrollment alone, with recent competitive performance and socioeconomic factors also contributing to the formula.
Enrollment figures used in the process will be based on Oct. 1 data for junior and sophomore classes, excluding self-contained students.
The Board of Trustees will determine how many schools are placed in each classification and retains final authority over classification and region assignments. Schools can appeal classification placement based on geographic considerations, and the board can make adjustments when warranted. Regions may also include schools from different classifications to accommodate geography.
The UHSAA will conduct separate general and football alignments.
Under the approved procedures, 6A, 5A and 4A must each have at least 21 schools, while 3A, 2A and 1A must each have at least eight. Football follows the same minimums, with the 8-player classification requiring at least eight schools.
Schools may also request placement in a higher classification before the first consideration of regions or divisions. A school can apply to compete in a higher classification for a specific sport or activity if it already competes at that level or has averaged a finish in the top 15% of its classification in that sport during the previous three seasons.
Approval is not guaranteed. If approved, the school must remain at the higher level in that sport for the entire two-year alignment. For sports covered by the general alignment, the school would remain in its assigned classification and region for region competition but compete in the higher classification during the postseason.
The realignment process will begin Nov. 19, when the Board of Trustees holds its initial classification placement and first consideration of member schools.
A second meeting is scheduled for Dec. 1, when the board will consider applications from schools seeking to compete at a higher classification, geographic adjustments, classification placements and an initial proposal for regions.
A virtual public hearing is scheduled for Dec. 8 at 6:30 p.m.
The board will hold its second consideration of region assignments Dec. 9 before establishing the final realignment at a Dec. 17 meeting.
Schools directly affected by a placement change made during the final meeting may petition for reconsideration within 10 days. Such petitions must be based on new information or circumstances that were not previously considered by the board.
The new classifications and regions will take effect with the start of competition in August 2027 and remain in place through the 2028-29 school year.
