Whether you’re ready for football or not, the Section V high school season arrives faster than you can say, “Where did the summer go?”
Teams are getting together for preseason work. The first day of official practices that count toward game eligibility is Aug. 17.
Section V football has returned to league-based regular season schedules for teams, replacing the Federation or classification-based method.
The switch to league from Federation matchmaking has led to a re-union of the Livingston County and Genesee Region leagues, and a curiosity about the lineup for the Private-Parochial league.
The change satisfies coaches, officials and, according to them, players connected to the Wayne-Finger Lakes league. Why should teams and fans travel one or two counties west to play a team in the same classification, when there are available opponents closer to home? All of those teams and the other squads which played as independents in 2025 are back under the Section V football umbrella and eligible to play in sectionals.
There are probably people in the Rochester City Athletic Conference who are also happy about a return to league action. Like the Wayne-Finger Lakes supporters, there are RCAC members who enjoy the rivalry games and traditional matchups from the past.
There is an interesting wrinkle to the return of league scheduling. Many leagues still separate teams by enrollment size or classification, creating a Federation-style structure within the leagues themselves.
Classifications exist largely out of concern for safety. One reason that led to the end of the “Little Brown Jug” rivalry was the enrollment disparity between Fairport and East Rochester.
Another purpose of classifications is to set up competitive playoffs or sectional tournaments. The return of the 2025 independent teams replenishes Section V Class B and Class C. There are six classifications or groups in Section V football in 2026: Class AA, A1, A2, B, C and D.
Section V does not have an 8-man football classification in 2026. But what happens if teams see low roster numbers in mid-August?
The lineup or table of teams by classification in Section V football:
Class B
Class C
Class D
Class AA
Class A1
Class A2
James Johnson, who grew up in the city of Rochester, has worked as a full-time journalist covering high school sports for the Democrat and Chronicle since 1996. His career began as an intern during the summer of 1990, before the start of his senior year at Edison in the Rochester City School District. He has become a two-time winner of the Rochester Press-Radio Club’s Sports Media Excellence Award. Follow him @jjDandC on X (Twitter). Please contact him at JAMESJ@Gannett.com
This article originally appeared on Rochester Democrat and Chronicle: Section V football classifications set. Where do Hornell area teams land?
Reporting by James Johnson, Rochester Democrat and Chronicle / Rochester Democrat and Chronicle
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By James Johnson, Rochester Democrat and Chronicle | USA TODAY Network
