Fall sports classifications for sports other than football the 2026-27 and 2027-28 school year have been released by the FHSAA.
These classifications are tentative pending the athletic associations appeals process, which runs through March 27. After that, all classifications are final.
Football classifications were finalized in December, but then changed again in January when the FHSAA eliminated the rural classification for football. Besides eliminating the rural classification, football will be 1A-6A rather than 1A-7A like it was the last two years.
Volleyball is the only other fall sport that changed the number of classifications. It will have a Rural class and then 1A-6A after having a rural class and 1A-7A the last two seasons.
Volleyball, along with football, will see the top eight teams in the state regardless of classification compete in the Championship Division for their own state title. The other classifications state playoffs will run as usual.
The FHSAA’s initial plan was to use MaxPreps rankings to decide the top eight teams, though FHSAA Executive Director Craig Damon told USA Today Florida Network in December he was open to human input in the process.
Cross country remains class 1A-4A, golf remains class 1A-3A and swimming and diving remain class 1A-4A.
All Escambia and Santa Rosa County schools remain in Region 1 and District 1. Below is a breakdown by classification for all sports.
Volleyball
With the FHSAA dropping the 7A classification, eight area teams moved down a class.
Gulf Breeze, Milton and Tate dropped down from District 1-6A to District 1-5A, as did district rival Niceville. The Dolphins have won seven straight district championships and lost to eventual state champion Oveido in the Region 1-6A final in 2025. Deep playoff runs will still be a challenge in Region 1-5A, especially with two-time defending 5A state champion Tallahassee Chiles also in the region in District 2.
Navarre, Pace and Crestview will remain in District 1-6A and now have a much easier path to a district title and an automatic state playoff berth.
Escambia, Pine Forest and Booker T. Washington dropped down from District 1-5A to District 1-4A, as did Choctawhatchee. Fort Walton Beach remains in District 1-4A.
Pensacola Catholic will get some local company in District 1-3A with Pensacola and West Florida dropping down a classification. The Crusaders are coming off their first state semifinal appearance since 2015, while PHS made the state playoffs for the fourth time in five seasons.
South Walton will join three area squads in District 1-3A after winning the Region 1-4A championship last fall. The district won’t stretch as far down the panhandle the next two years, as Panama City schools Bozeman and North Bay Haven will bump over to District 2-3A.
District 1-1A and Rural District 1 remain unchanged from the previous cycle.
Boys Cross Country
Two area schools will be in different classifications the next two years.
West Florida moves up from 2A to 3A, while Northview moves down from 2A to 1A. The Jaguars repeated as District 1-2A champions in 2025 and also finished third in Region 1-2A and fifth at the FHSAA 2A state championship. West Florida will now longer have to compete against perennial power Jacksonville Bolles, though Jacksonville Bishop Kenny bumped up to District 2-3A and remains in the Jaguars region.
While District 1-1A, District 1-2A and District 1-3A are all contained in the panhandle, District 1-4A continues to stretch all the way to Jacksonville. This means long road trips for Navarre, Pace and Tate for postseason meets.
Girls Cross Country
The same changes for boys cross country are coming to girls cross country. West Florida is moving up to 3A after qualifying for the FHSAA state championship as a team for the first time since 2017 last year.
Boys Golf
The only change is Gulf Breeze dropping down from District 1-3A to District 1-2A. District 1-3A will see two new schools with Lincoln and Mosley both bumping up a class. Lincoln is also sliding over a district from District 2-2A.
North Bay Haven and Walton will join five Pensacola area schools and five other panhandle schools in District 1-2A. Walton is moving up from District 1-1A, while North Bay Haven is moving up and over from District 1-2A.
The only other change in District 1-1A is Vernon moving over to District 2-2A.
Girls Golf
The same changes for teams in boys golf will occur in girls golf. Gulf Breeze will move down a class after after the Dolphins won the team District 1-3A title and junior Michelle Burt won the individual district title in 2025.
Boys Swimming and Diving
The only changes for area schools are Pine Forest and Booker T. Washington moving down from District 1-3A to District 1-2A.
However, there are some other changes to District 1 in all three classifications for schools outside of Escambia and Santa Rosa County. Arnold moves up to District 1-3A, while Tallahassee schools Chiles, Leon and Lincoln move over to District 2-3A.
North Bay Haven moves up from from District 1-1A to District 1-2A. St. John Paul II in Tallahassee joins District 1-1A.
Girls Swimming and Diving
The same changes for girls swimming are coming to boys swimming.
This article originally appeared on Pensacola News Journal: FHSAA releases fall sports classifications for 2026-27 and 2027-28
Reporting by Justin Fitzgerald, Pensacola News Journal / Pensacola News Journal
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
