Realignment Announcement Set For Friday

The University Interscholastic League will announce its biennial realignment and reclassification of schools Friday at 9 a.m.

The announcement will set athletic and academic districts for the 2008-2009 and 2009-2010 school years.

Van is currently a member of District 14-3A with Athens, Brownsboro, Bullard, Canton and Chapel Hill. Where the Vandal athletic teams wind up for the next two years could depend on some potential moves downward in classification by other schools in the area.

The UIL keeps all realignment data top secret until the morning of the announcement, but in most past realignments, the maximum enrollment number for Class 3A has risen. In 2006, that number stood at 949.

Should the number rise this time, it could bring current Class 4A schools like Lindale and Henderson into Class 3A, which would likely alter Class 3A districts in East Texas. Likewise, Eustace appears to be on the bubble for a possible drop to Class 2A and that could change district alignments for Van, Canton and Wills Point.

Coaches and athletic directors will immediately confirm non-district football games after the announcement is made. Football schedules will not be officially released until sometime in March, after the realignment appeals period has ended and new district meetings have been conducted to set district contest dates.