The Kansas State High School Activities Association (KSHSAA) has released the changes to football classifications for the 2026 and 2027 seasons.
A total of 64 schools in the state will compete in different classifications next season, in contrast to where they played in the 2024 season and are currently playing in for the 2025 season. The majority of changes come in the 6-Player class and both 8-Player divisions.
The higher classes have few changes. 6A will only swap one school, moving Wichita-West down to 5A and bringing Shawnee-Mill Valley to 6A.
The next classes down are what bring interesting change. Reigning 5A champion St. Thomas Aquinas and reigning 4A champion Andover Central will swap classifications. Current 5A contender Great Bend will move down to 4A starting next season, and 4A contender Kapaun Mt. Carmel will move back to 5A.
South Central Kansas area schools Hoisington, Larned, and Lyons will move up to 3A. Joining them will be Seneca-Nemaha Central, who has won two of the last three state titles in 2A.
Local schools around the Ad Astra family of networks moving down from 2A to 1A include Belle Plaine, Eureka, and Hillsboro. Moving up from 1A to 2A includes Jayhawk-Linn and Marion.
Arma-Northeast is the only school that will move from 8-Player to 11-Player, moving up to 1A. The only school moving up from 6-Player to 8-Player is Cunningham, as they will move to 8-Player DII.
Local schools swapping from 8-Player DI to DII include Kinsley, Little River, Pratt-Skyline, and Quinter.
Below are the full changes and the new full lists of classifications for football starting in 2026. Click/tap on the image to view them.
District assignments for 2026 have not been released yet.
CLICK HEREÂ to view the full changes and the full classifications for 2026 & 2027.
