ST. GEORGE — The number of high schools in the 4A classification will more than double next fall, according to the biennial realignment approved by the Utah High School Activities Association.
At its regular meeting in Midvale on Thursday, the UHSAA Board of Trustees approved the final classification assignments for 2023-24 and 2024-25 and also presented the various region assignments for first consideration.
The UHSAA Board of Trustees had officially adopted classifications and regions for 2023-25. https://t.co/v7827H13RP
— UHSAA (@UHSAAinfo) December 15, 2022
Currently, there are 13 schools within the 4A classification, which comprises just two regions: Southern Utah’s Region 10 and Northern Utah’s Region 11. All 13 of those schools will remain 4A, although Region 10’s name will revert to Region 9, as it was known prior to the 2021-23 realignment.
Starting next fall, 13 more schools (14 for football) will join the 4A ranks, namely six schools in Region 8, all but one of which are in Utah County, and seven schools in Region 10, all located in or adjacent to the Salt Lake Valley.
To download a copy of the 2023-25 UHSAA Alignment charts, click here. One page is for football only, while the other is for all other sports and activities
As far as the 4A classification is concerned, the differences between the two charts are minimal, mainly affecting Region 8. In all sports except football, Region 8 will include Mountain View, Orem, Payson, Provo, Timpanogos and Uintah. In football only, Orem moves up to compete in 5A’s Region 7, while 5A schools Salem Hills and Spanish Fork both move down to be part of 4A’s Region 8 on the gridiron.
According to the region alignment proposal, the seven Southern Utah schools that currently comprise Region 10 will stay in the same region, which will be known as Region 9 once again. They are Cedar, Crimson Cliffs, Desert Hills, Dixie, Hurricane, Pine View and Snow Canyon.
Additionally, Utah Arts Academy and Vista School are listed as members of next year’s Region 9, although neither of those institutions fields sports teams; the asterisk by their name on the chart indicates they are grouped for participation in non-sports activities only, such as band, debate and drama.
Also joining the 4A classification as the newly dubbed Region 10 will be Cottonwood, Hillcrest, Jordan and Murray from Salt Lake County, Stansbury and Tooele in Tooele County, and Park City in Summit County.
Staying put in 4A’s Region 11, in both name and constituent members, are the six Northern Utah schools Bear River, Green Canyon, Logan, Mountain Crest, Ridgeline and Sky View.
Also of note, Hildale’s Water Canyon High will stay in the 1A 8-player classification for football but will move up to 2A in all other sports. Cedar City’s Canyon View High will remain at 3A for all sports.
In addition, Beaver will drop down to 1A for football, joining other Southern Utah schools Enterprise, Kanab and Parowan in playing regular 11-man football at the 1A level but competing in the 2A classification in everything else.
According to the UHSAA, Thursday’s decision came one day after a public hearing was held for the Board of Trustees to receive feedback regarding the placement of member schools into regions.
The final decision regarding region assignments is expected to be made at the Board of Trustees’ next scheduled monthly meeting on Jan. 19.
Additionally, if desired, schools may apply to compete in a higher classification in a specific sport or activity. Those decisions are also expected to be finalized next month. According to the UHSAA, once such a school has been placed in the desired higher classification, that school must remain in the new placement for that specific sport or activity for the duration of the established two-year alignment period.
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