Asheboro might have new league partners, while UCA bumps up
Schools in Randolph County will continue to be spread across three classifications in an upcoming realignment, but there’s a different makeup regarding the schools within the North Carolina High School Athletic Association.
Asheboro, in particular, could have some new company in terms of fellow conference members.
The NCHSAA is expanding from four to eight classifications beginning with the next school year. The breakdown of classifications was unveiled recently as enrollment figures were released.
Asheboro has been tagged for Class 6A, while Uwharrie Charter Academy, Randleman and Southwestern Randolph are on the Class 4A list. The Class 3A list includes Trinity, Wheatmore, Providence Grove and Eastern Randolph.
In the current set-up with four classifications, Asheboro has been in Class 3A as the largest school in the county.
Asheboro is also the biggest of the schools in the current Mid-Piedmont Conference. The other schools in the conference will be in smaller classifications than Asheboro in the new set-up.
Montgomery Central, Oak Grove, North Davidson are pegged for Class 5A. Central Davidson and Ledford go to Class 4A.
Still, there could be familiar pairings for Asheboro in Class 6A. That listing includes former conference colleagues Eastern Guilford, Southeast Guilford, Southern Alamance and Burlington Williams.
Other soon-to-be Class 6A schools that could be paired with the Blue Comets in conference alignment include Ragsdale and Western Guilford. And depending on how conferences are configured, Lee County, Southern Lee, Greensboro Smith, Kernersville Glenn and Greensboro Dudley will be in Class 6A and possible partners for Asheboro.
Meanwhile, UCA will make a big jump to the Class 4A ranks. Of note, UCA doesn’t field a football team.
Aside from Asheboro, the other schools in the county have been members of the Piedmont Athletic Conference, with teams currently in Class 2A and Class 1A.
The PAC’s split conference has five Class 2A schools and Class 1A members Eastern Randolph and UCA.
For new classifications, Southwestern Randolph is the sixth-smallest school on the Class 4A list. Jordan-Matthews, which frequently is a non-conference opponent for PAC schools, is the 17th-largest school on the Class 4A list.
Neighboring schools Providence Grove and Eastern Randolph have the two smallest enrollments on the Class 3A chart.
Normally enrollment numbers come from the Department of Public Instruction, but because of changes in how that data is gathered and delays related to Hurricane Helene, the NCHSAA is using average daily membership numbers submitted directly from superintendents or heads of schools.
Conference affiliations have yet to be determined. With eight classifications, there has been speculation that the number of split conferences (leagues with more than one classification represented) could increase.
The NCHSAA announced that in the coming weeks NCHSAA staff will draft proposed conferences to present to the realignment committee. A draft will be presented to membership for approval.
The new classifications are intended to be in use for four school years.
