Every five years, the North Carolina High School Athletic Association (NCHSAA) changes the conferences for the various high school sports in North Carolina.
Many athletes have problems with the Greater Neuse River Conference, mainly the long drive out to Corinth Holders High School, which is almost an hour and a half away from FVHS by bus.
In addition to the conference realignment, NC high schools will be divided into eight classifications, as opposed to the four that there are right now. These classifications will range from 1A all the way to 8A.
The decision to expand to eight classifications was made back in November of 2023, but since then, the NCHSAA decided to adopt the “Big 32” plan, where the 32 biggest schools will be 8A and the rest of the schools will be divided into the other seven classes, with no more than 64 per class.
“The committee believes the ‘Big 32’ model will lessen the ADM discrepancies between schools in a single classification, it will allow the NCHSAA to push smaller schools down to lower classifications, and it will provide more equity for smaller schools,” said Erica Turner, realignment committee member, according to High School OT.
FVHS is currently 4A, but next year, we will most likely be 7A. This sounds like a big move, but since the whole state is changing, it really isn’t. FVHS will still generally play the same teams as they do now, since they will be moving up too.
Because of how big some of the schools around this area are, the conference next year has a chance of being in a 7A/8A combined conference. Our new conference will have at least six teams, with an ideal number of eight, the same as it is now.
In a perfect world, FVHS would be in a conference with other nearby teams and rivals like Middle Creek, Holly Springs and Willow Spring. There is a chance that only WIllow Spring High School will be in the same conference as FVHS, since that is what they did in the 2021 realignment.
The next big decision about realignment will be around winter break, when the first draft of the new conferences will be released to the athletic directors of every high school in North Carolina.
After it is released to the ADs, there will be an appeal period, where any school can appeal the newly created conferences. Each athletic director can appeal up to three times to try and make their conference the way they want.
However, the NCHSAA doesn’t always listen to these appeals. In 2021, FVHS athletic director James Mountford appealed the Greater Neuse River Conference, but the committee rejected it because it only helped us, and not multiple schools.
The final draft of the realignment will be announced sometime in mid to late March 2025, giving athletic directors and coaches very little time to get ready for fall sports.
