The TSSAA has released its latest school classification data for each of its sanctioned sports for the upcoming 2025-29 cycle, the first four-year cycle since 2011-15.
Among the biggest movers and shakers in several sports are Daniel Boone, David Crockett, Tennessee High and Unicoi County.
Region 1-6A football will also see changes as William Blount is moving down to Class 5A. With Oak Ridge moving into Class 6A, will the TSSAA keep Region 1-6A with six teams, as most prefer?
And if so, could it be Maryville?
Don’t forget that at one point, the TSSAA had pegged Region 1-6A as a five-team league before the Governors, with the approval of the other five schools, requested and was granted the move from Region 2.
So, an assumption that Blount’s not-so-friendly neighbor in the same proximity will take the Govs’ place could be misdirected.
Some inside the Maryville program believe the newcomer will be the newbie in the classification, Oak Ridge. Or maybe that's what the influencers want to see happen. That would move the Wildcats from Region 3 in 5A to Region 1 in 6A.
As the crow flies the mileage difference between Maryville and Oak Ridge and even Bearden or Hardin Valley for West Ridge, Dobyns-Bennett and Science Hill is negligible.
I figure there will be some posturing by all to avoid Region 1, leaving TSSAA with a tough call to make. But one has to be made. Scheduling an additional non-region game would be a nightmare for the Wolves, Indians and ‘Toppers. I personally hope that Maryville does get its way and its Oak Ridge. Dobyns-Bennett and Oak Ridge are long time rivals with the Atomic City modeled after the Model City.
Another interesting classification note involves the Howard School out of Chattooga, which enrollment-wise also moves into Class 6A. The Fightin’ Reggie Whites currently only have a 30-player roster, however, with two lopsided defeats in Region 5-4A play.
In basketball, baseball and softball, Daniel Boone is moving down to Class 3A, leaving another dilemma for the TSSAA. The ‘Blazers impending departure leaves only West Ridge, Science Hill and Dobyns-Bennett still in the District 1-4A fold and only seven (Morristown East, Morristown West, Sevier County, Jefferson County the others) in the entire region, not even enough for a complete Region 1-4A tournament field.
Will the TSSAA move at least one Morristown team, if not both, into Region 1 and back fill Region 2 with the dozen teams that currently house Regions 3 & 4?
The Trailblazers figure to join holdovers David Crockett, Elizabethton, Sullivan East and Tennessee High in District 1-3A. Unicoi County is currently in the district, will the Blue Devils will be moving down to District 1-2A with Chuckey-Doak, Hampton, Happy Valley, Johnson County, West Greene and South Greene, if all stay, which seems unlikely.
No significant local changes are seen in the volleyball classification although at the state level, both Anderson County and Gibbs are moving up to Class 3A. The Eagles flying out leaves District 2-AA with just five remaining including Volunteer and Cherokee.
District 1-AAA boys’ and girls’ soccer figures to grow with David Crockett and Tennessee High moving back up. Daniel Boone would be the smallest school in the classification.
Tennessee High and David Crockett also rejoin Class AAA in track and field and will be in Class AAA in the expanded cross country classifications. Daniel Boone stays in both as well as the smallest track and field participant and sixth smallest in cross country.
Boone, Crockett and Tennessee High will all switch classifications in wrestling with Boone the largest school in Class A and Crockett and THS the second and third smallest in Class AA.
Changes are also coming in golf and tennis, the only two sports not split evenly across each of its designated classifications. It’s basically a Class A/AA and Class AAA set-up but instead its named Class A with ⅔ of the participating teams and Class AA with ⅓ of the participating teams. Thus, Volunteer, Cherokee, Greeneville, Seymour, Elizabethton and Sullivan East will all be going from Class AA to Class A.
In the first-ever boys’ and girls’ Lacrosse classifications where 43 schools will participate, Science Hill and Dobyns-Bennett are both in Class AA in the two-classification system.
In Division II, Providence Academy maintains its current assignments in all sports.
Schools have until October 18 to notify the TSSAA if they plan to move up on classification in any sport. District and Region alignments will then be set by the TSSAA. Football Region schedules for 2025 & 2026 will also be set by the TSSAA.
Here’s a quick glance at where each local is assignment in each sport that it participates along with enrollment numbers (see football), and the classification criteria for each sport.
FOOTBALL - Six Clases, Split Evenly (enrollment numbers included)
Class 1A (0-351) - Cloudland (162), Hancock County (252), Jellico (288), North Greene (296), Unaka (302), Cosby (345)
Class 2A (352-528) - Hampton (389), Happy Valley (441), Eagleton Academy (451), Cumberland Gap (464), West Greene (478), South Greene (484).
Class 3A (528-743) - Gatlinburg-Pittman (544), Chuckey-Doak (571), Johnson County (578), Pigeon Forge (610), Claiborne (639), Unicoi County (639)
Class 4A (744-1042) - Grainger (783), Northview Academy (788), Sullivan East (823), Elizabethton (888), Greeneville (933), Cherokee (995), Volunteer (1001)
Class 5A (1043-1486) - Cocke County (1132), Daniel Boone (1142), David Crockett (1159), Tennessee High (1164), Sevier County (1236), Morristown West (1461)
Class 6A (1487 & up) - Morristown East (1503), West Ridge (1618), Jefferson County (1916), Dobyns-Bennett (2335), Science Hill (2408).
BASKETBALL, BASEBALL, SOFTBALL - Four Classes, Split Evenly
Class A (0-382) - Cloudland, North Greene, Unaka, University High
Class AA (383-646) - Hampton, Happy Valley, West Greene, South Greene, Chuckey-Doak, Johnson County, Unicoi County
Class AAA (647-1165) - Grainger, Sullivan East, Elizabethton, Greeneville, Cherokee, Volunteer, Daniel Boone, Tennessee High
Class AAAA (1165 & up) - Sevier County, Morristown West, Morristown East, West Ridge, Jefferson County, Dobyns-Bennett, Science Hill
VOLLEYBALL - Three Classes Split Evenly
Class A (0-506) – North Greene, Hampton, Happy Valley, West Greene, South Greene
Class AA (507-1017) – Chuckey-Doak, Johnson County, Claiborne, Unicoi County Carter, Grainger, Union County, Sullivan East, Elizabethton, Greeneville, Cherokee, Volunteer
Class AAA (1017 & up) - Daniel Boone, David Crockett, Tennessee High, West Ridge, Dobyns-Bennett, Science Hill
SOCCER - Three Classes, Split Evenly
Class A (0-610) - University High, Cosby, Cumberland Gap, West Greene, Gatlinburg-Pittman, Chuckey-Doak, Pigeon Forge
Class AA (610-1132) - Unicoi County, Claiborne, Grainger, Union County, Sullivan East, Elizabethton, Greeneville, Cherokee, Volunteer, Gibbs
Class AAA (1133 & up) - Daniel Boone (smallest), David Crockett, Tennessee High, West Ridge, Dobyns-Bennett, Science Hill
TRACK & FIELD - Three Classes, Split Evenly
Class AA (608-1132) - Unicoi County, Claiborne, Grainger, Union County, Sullivan East, Elizabethton, Greeneville, Cherokee, Volunteer, Gibbs
Class AAA (1133 & up) - Daniel Boone (smallest), David Crockett, Tennessee High, West Ridge, Dobyns-Bennett, Science Hill
CROSS COUNTRY - Three Classes, Split Evenly
Class AA (562-1102) - Unicoi County, Claiborne, Grainger, Union County, Sullivan East, Elizabethton, Greeneville, Cherokee, Volunteer, Gibbs
Class AAA (1102 & up) - Daniel Boone (smallest), David Crockett, Tennessee High, West Ridge, Dobyns-Bennett, Science Hill
WRESTLlING - Two Classes, Split Evenly
Class A (0-1142) - West Greene, Chuckey-Doak, Claiborne, Sullivan East, Elizabethton, Greeneville, Volunteer, Daniel Boone (largest)
Class AA (1142 & up) - Tennessee High, David Crockett, West Ridge, Dobyns-Bennett, Science Hill
GOLF & TENNIS - Two Classes, Smallest ⅔ in Class A, ⅓ in Class AA
Class A (0-1060) - North, Greene, Unaka, University High, Hampton, Happy Valley, West Greene, South Greene, Chuckey-Doak, Johnson County, Claiborne, Unicoi County, Sullivan East, Elizabethton, Greeneville, Cherokee, Volunteer
Class AA (1061 & up) – Daniel Boone, David Crockett, Tennessee High, West Ridge, Dobyns-Bennett, Science Hill)
LACROSSE - Two Classes, Split Evenly
Class A (0-1607) - Gatlinburg-Pittman, Pigeon Forge, Sevier County
Class AA (1608 & up) - Dobyns-Bennett, Science Hill
