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Under the initial outline, Draughn High School (3A), East Burke High School (4A) and Patton High School (3A) would be paired together with Chase (3A), East Rutherford (3A), West Caldwell (3A), Hibriten (4A) and R-S Central (4A).

Freedom High School (6A) would join a 6A/7A conference with St. Stephens (6A), McDowell (7A), Watauga (6A), Alexander Central (6A) and South Caldwell (6A).

The same draft includes a split 4A/5A conference joining West Iredell (4A) with Bandys (4A), Bunker Hill (4A), Fred T. Foard (4A), Maiden (4A), Newton-Conover (4A), East Lincoln (5A), Hickory (5A) and North Lincoln (5A).

Â鶹´«Ã½â€™s North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics is slated to compete in a 1A/2A conference with Carolina International (1A), Jackson Day (1A), Valor Prep (1A), Queens Grant (2A) and Sugar Creek (2A).

For the first time, beginning in 2025, the NCHSAA will have member schools divided into eight classifications. The largest class, 8A, will have the 32 largest schools in the state by population. The 1A through 7A classes will be evenly divided and have just under 60 schools apiece.

Unlike the previous realignment for 2021-25, the next realignment is sorting schools into classifications by average daily membership only. The ADM numbers represent the amount of students attending the institution on a daily basis. The previous realignment utilized a formula that combined the ADM numbers, free and reduced lunch data, and past success via the Wells Fargo Cup results.

After receiving the ADM numbers for the 2024-25 school year, the NCHSAA staff devised an initial set of conferences. That document was then passed on to the official Realignment Committee for the 2025-29 cycle. The committee is made up of school officials and coaches from an even spread through the state’s regions.

The realignment committee took the NCHSAA staff’s early ideas and revised them into the first draft.

Member schools will have an opportunity to provide feedback to the draft before it gets finalized in the new year.