OHSAA announces preliminary fall sports divisions and representation

OHSAA announces preliminary fall sports divisions and representation Soccer expanding to five divisions and girls volleyball expanding to seven divisions COLUMBUS — The Ohio High School Athletic Association has announced the preliminary divisional breakdowns and regional tournament representation for the upcoming fall sports. The OHSAA Board of Directors approved the new divisions and tournament representation last week during its April board meeting, which included the previously announced football divisions and regions. The divisional assignments and regional tournament representation should be considered preliminary, as OHSAA member schools may opt to move up to Division I if Referendum Issue 1B passes this spring. Results of the referendum voting will be announced May 16. Any changes to divisional assignments or tournament representation as a result of schools opting up to Division I will be announced by the OHSAA at a later date. As announced last February, girls and boys soccer will expand to five divisions this fall and girls volleyball will expand to seven divisions. In both sports, the largest 64 schools are placed in Division I, the next 64 largest schools are placed in Division II, and the remaining schools are divided as equally as possible into the other divisions. Earlier this spring, the OHSAA received base enrollment data, comprised of students in grades 9-11 as of Oct. 2023, from the Ohio Department of Education to use for the 2024-25 and 2025-26 school years. In addition to football, the fall sports of soccer and girls volleyball utilize competitive balance data from the previous season to create a new adjusted enrollment count. Below is a breakdown of the number of schools in each division, and where each area school will now compete: Girls soccer (Five divisions, with 16 regional qualifiers in each division) Div. I – 64 schools, 576 and higher adjusted enrollment count Div. II – 64 schools, 404 to 575 Div. III – 126 schools, 239 to 403 (Norwalk) Div. IV – 127 schools, 168 to 238 (Edison) Div. V – 130 schools, 167 and less Boys soccer (Five divisions, with 16 regional qualifiers in each division) Div. I – 64 schools, 626 and higher adjusted enrollment count Div. II – 64 schools, 448 to 625 Div. III – 146 schools, 251 to 447 (Norwalk) Div. IV – 145 schools, 168 to 250 (Edison, Willard) Div. V – 146 schools, 167 and less Volleyball (Seven divisions, with 16 regional qualifiers in each division) Div. I – 64 schools, 575 and higher adjusted enrollment count Div. II – 64 schools, 412 to 574 Div. III – 131 schools, 265 to 411 (Norwalk) Div. IV – 130 schools, 190 to 264 Div. V – 132 schools, 134 to 189 (Edison, Willard) Div. VI – 131 schools, 91 to 133 (Western Reserve, New London, Monroeville) Div. VII – 130 schools, 90 and fewer (South Central, Plymouth, St. Paul) Cross country (Three divisions for girls and boys. No competitive balance) Girls Div. I – 160 schools, base enrollment 307 and more Girls Div. II – 160 schools, base enrollment 163 to 306 (Norwalk, Willard) Girls Div. III – 159 schools, base enrollment 162 and fewer (Western Reserve, New London, Monroeville, South Central, Plymouth, St. Paul) Boys Div. I – 189 schools, base enrollment 310 and more (Norwalk) Boys Div. II – 190 schools, base enrollment 156 to 309 (Edison, Willard) Boys Div. III – 189 schools, base enrollment 155 and fewer (Western Reserve, New London, Monroeville, South Central, Plymouth, St. Paul) Girls golf (Two divisions. No competitive balance) Girls Div. I – 200 schools, base enrollment 217 and more girls (Norwalk) Girls Div. II – 199 schools, base enrollment 216 and fewer girls (Edison, Willard, St. Paul) Boys golf (Three divisions. No competitive balance) Boys Div. I – 208 schools, base enrollment 263 and more (Norwalk) Boys Div. II – 207 schools, base enrollment 142 to 262 (Willard, Edison) Boys Div. III – 212 schools, base enrollment 141 and fewer (Western Reserve, New London, Plymouth, St. Paul) Girls tennis (Two divisions. No competitive balance) Girls Div. I – 186 schools, base enrollment 191 and more Girls Div. II – 187 schools, base enrollment 190 and fewer (Norwalk, Edison, Willard)