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Year-to-year fluctuations in high school enrollment lead to divisional reclassifications, and several central Ohio football teams find themselves in new divisions and regions this fall.
Most notably, two-time reigning Division III state champion Watterson moved up to Division II, Region 7 because of competitive balance when alignments were revealed in April, joining archrival DeSales, two-time defending regional champion Big Walnut and perennial power Massillon Washington among others.
Usual Division I contender Upper Arlington was moved from Region 3 to Region 2, which has typically been weaker in recent years, only to come back to Region 3 in June when the Ohio High School Athletic Association approved eight schools, including Dublin Scioto, opting up to Division I.
That enlarges Division I to 80 schools from 72, and drops Division II from 106 to 98.
Central Crossing and Grove City moved to Region 2 with UA but were not switched back.
Scioto was the only local school to request a move to Division I. The Irish originally had been assigned to Region 7 and now will be in Region 2.
Thirty-seven schools statewide moved up a division either because of the start of a new two-year base enrollment cycle or competitive balance.
Statewide, Toledo Central Catholic – the Division III runner-up to Watterson in 2024 and 2025 – has moved to Division II, Region 6, meaning the two conceivably could meet in a state final for the fourth year in a row.
Two reigning state champions, Liberty Center (Division V) and St. Henry (Division VII), now find themselves in Division VI but in different regions.
Because of anticipated consolidations this summer in the Cleveland and Youngstown districts, some schools will be reclassified into larger divisions. The OHSAA has set Sept. 10 as the deadline to collect that enrollment data and would announce further changes after that date.
Here are the other central Ohio schools changing divisions or regions this fall:
Beavercreek, Centerville, Central Crossing, Clayton Northmont, Dublin Coffman, Dublin Jerome, Dublin Scioto, Grove City, Hilliard Bradley, Hilliard Darby, Hilliard Davidson, Huber Heights Wayne, Kettering Fairmont, Marysville, Miamisburg, Perrysburg, Springfield, Toledo St. John’s, Toledo Whitmer, Westland
Delaware Hayes, Gahanna Lincoln, Groveport, Lancaster, Licking Heights, Newark, Olentangy, Olentangy Berlin, Olentangy Liberty, Olentangy Orange, Pickerington Central, Pickerington North, Reynoldsburg, St. Charles, Thomas Worthington, Upper Arlington, Westerville Central, Westerville North, Westerville South, Worthington Kilbourne
Ashland, Big Walnut, Canal Winchester, DeSales, Hamilton Township, Independence, Logan, Louisville, Marion Harding, Massillon Perry, Massillon Washington, Mifflin, Mount Vernon, New Albany, Northland, North Canton Hoover, Teays Valley, Uniontown Green, Uniontown Lake, Walnut Ridge, Watkins Memorial, Watterson, Whetstone, Whitehall, Wooster
Briggs, Cincinnati Aiken, Cincinnati Anderson, Cincinnati La Salle, Cincinnati Turpin, Cincinnati Withrow, Dayton Belmont, Fairborn, Franklin Heights, Hamilton Badin, Hamilton Ross, Harrison, Kings Mills Kings, Lima Senior, Loveland, Oxford Talawanda, Piqua, Riverside Stebbins, Sidney, Trenton Edgewood, Trotwood-Madison, Troy, Vandalia Butler, West, Xenia
Athens, Beechcroft, Bexley, Bloom-Carroll, Centennial, Dover, Dresden Tri-Valley, East, Eastmoor Academy, Gallipolis Gallia Academy, Granville, Hartley, Jackson, Jonathan Alder, KIPP Columbus, Licking Valley, Linden-McKinley, Marietta, New Philadelphia, South, Steubenville, Thornville Sheridan, Vincent Warren, Zanesville, Zanesville Maysville
Bay Village Bay, Bellefontaine Benjamin Logan, Bellevue, Bellville Clear Fork, Bryan, Caledonia River Valley, Clyde, Elida, Fostoria, Highland, Kenton, Lorain Clearview, Medina Buckeye, Millbury Lake, Napoleon, Oberlin Firelands, Ottawa-Glandorf, Rossford, Sandusky Perkins, Sheffield Brookside, Shelby, Tontogany Otsego, Upper Sandusky, Van Wert, Wauseon
Albany Alexander, Belmont Union Local, Buckeye Valley, Cambridge, Canton South, Carrollton, Circleville, Duncan Falls Philo, East Liverpool, East Liverpool Beaver, Fairfield Union, Gnadenhutten Indian Valley, Heath, Johnstown, Lakewood, Marion-Franklin, Millersburg West Holmes, Minerva, New Concord John Glenn, New Lexington, Ready, St. Clairsville, Uhrichsville Claymont, Waverly, Wintersville Indian Creek, Zanesville West Muskingum
Cincinnati Clark Montessori, Cincinnati Hills Christian Academy, Cincinnati North College Hill, Cincinnati Shroder, Cincinnati Taft, Cincinnati Woodward, Cincinnati Wyoming, Clarksville Clinton-Massie, Cleves Taylor, Dayton Dunbar, Dayton Meadowdale, Dayton Northridge, Dayton Oakwood, Eaton, Germantown Valley View, Greenfield McClain, London, New Richmond, Norwood, Reading, St. Bernard Roger Bacon, Springfield Kenton Ridge, Springfield Shawnee, Urbana, Washington Court House, Wilmington
Apple Creek Waynedale, Archbold, Bluffton, Brooklyn, Castalia Margaretta, Coldwater, Creston Norwayne, Fairview Park, Findlay Liberty-Benton, Galion, Genoa Area, LaGrange Keystone, Lewistown Indian Lake, Lima Bath, Marion Pleasant, Milan Edison, North Union, Northwood, Oak Harbor, Pemberville Eastwood, Port Clinton, Swanton, Vermilion, Willard, Wooster Triway
Africentric, Amanda-Clearcreek, Beverly Fort Frye, Bidwill River Valley, Byesville Meadowbrook, Chesapeake, Coal Grove Dawson-Bryant, Columbus Academy, Coshocton, Fairbanks, Grove City Christian, Ironton, Logan Elm, McArthur Vinton County, McConnelsville Morgan, Piketon, Pomeroy Meigs, Portsmouth, Proctorville Fairland, South Point, Utica, Warsaw River View, Wellston, West Lafayette Ridgewood, Westfall, Wheelersburg, Worthington Christian
Berne Union, Bridgeport, Caldwell, Cardington, Centerburg, Crooksville, East Knox, Fredericktown, Galion Northmor, Grandview Heights, Hannibal River, Harvest Prep, Liberty Union, Lore City Buckeye Trail, Marion Elgin, Mount Gilead, Nelsonville-York, Newark Catholic, Newcomerstown, North Robinson Colonel Crawford, Northridge, Sarahsville Shenandoah, Sugarcreek Garaway, Waterford, West Jefferson, Woodsfield Monroe Central
Anna, Chillicothe Huntington, Chillicothe Southeastern, Chillicothe Zane Trace, Cincinnati Finneytown, Cincinnati Miami Valley Christian Academy, Cincinnati College Preparatory Academy, Covington, Deer Park, Fayetteville-Perry, Frankfort Adena, Ironton Rock Hill, Lucasville Valley, Madison-Plains, McDermott Northwest, Mechanicsburg, Minford, New Lebanon Dixie, New Madison Tri-Village, New Paris National Trail, Oak Hill, Portsmouth West, St. Bernard-Elmwood Place, St. Henry, South Vienna Northeastern, Troy Christian, Versailles
Beaver Eastern, Belpre, Bowerston Conotton Valley, Corning Miller, Crestline, Crown City South Gallia, Danville, Fairfield Christian, Fisher Catholic, Franklin Furnace Green, Glouster Trimble, Loudonville, Lucas, Millersport, New Matamoras Frontier, New Philadelphia Tuscarawas Central Catholic, Portsmouth Notre Dame, Portsmouth Sciotoville Community, Racine Southern, Reedsville Eastern, Shadyside, Steubenville Catholic Central, Stewart Federal Hocking, Strasburg-Franklin, Toronto, Willow Wood Symmes Valley, Zanesville Rosecrans
High school sports reporter Dave Purpura can be reached at [email protected] and at @dp_dispatch on X.
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Which central Ohio football teams changed OHSAA playoff regions in 2026?
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Most notably, two-time reigning Division III state champion Watterson moved up to Division II, Region 7 because of competitive balance when alignments were revealed in April, joining archrival DeSales, two-time defending regional champion Big Walnut and perennial power Massillon Washington among others.
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Usual Division I contender Upper Arlington was moved from Region 3 to Region 2, which has typically been weaker in recent years, only to come back to Region 3 in June when the Ohio High School Athletic Association approved eight schools, including Dublin Scioto, opting up to Division I.
That enlarges Division I to 80 schools from 72, and drops Division II from 106 to 98.
Central Crossing and Grove City moved to Region 2 with UA but were not switched back.
Scioto was the only local school to request a move to Division I. The Irish originally had been assigned to Region 7 and now will be in Region 2.
Thirty-seven schools statewide moved up a division either because of the start of a new two-year base enrollment cycle or competitive balance.
You must be registered for see images attach
Statewide, Toledo Central Catholic – the Division III runner-up to Watterson in 2024 and 2025 – has moved to Division II, Region 6, meaning the two conceivably could meet in a state final for the fourth year in a row.
Two reigning state champions, Liberty Center (Division V) and St. Henry (Division VII), now find themselves in Division VI but in different regions.
Because of anticipated consolidations this summer in the Cleveland and Youngstown districts, some schools will be reclassified into larger divisions. The OHSAA has set Sept. 10 as the deadline to collect that enrollment data and would announce further changes after that date.
You must be registered for see images attach
Here are the other central Ohio schools changing divisions or regions this fall:
- Division II, Region 7 to Division I, Region 3: Licking Heights, St. Charles, Westerville South, Worthington Kilbourne
- Region 7 to Division II, Region 8: Briggs, Franklin Heights
- Division III, Region 11 to Region 7: Hamilton Township, Independence
- Region 11 to Region 8: West
- Region 11 to Division IV, Region 15: Buckeye Valley
- Division III, Region 12 to Division IV, Region 16: London
- Region 15 to Region 11: East, Jonathan Alder, KIPP Columbus
- Region 15 to Division V, Region 19: Logan Elm, Westfall
- Division V, Region 18 to Region 19: Utica
- Division V, Region 20 to Region 18: North Union
- Division VI, Region 23 to Region 19: Grove City Christian
- Region 18 to Region 23: Fredericktown, Northridge
- Region 19 to Region 23: Harvest Prep
- Division VII, Region 27 to Region 23: Newark Catholic
OHSAA football regions featuring central Ohio teams
Division I, Region 2
Beavercreek, Centerville, Central Crossing, Clayton Northmont, Dublin Coffman, Dublin Jerome, Dublin Scioto, Grove City, Hilliard Bradley, Hilliard Darby, Hilliard Davidson, Huber Heights Wayne, Kettering Fairmont, Marysville, Miamisburg, Perrysburg, Springfield, Toledo St. John’s, Toledo Whitmer, Westland
Division I, Region 3
Delaware Hayes, Gahanna Lincoln, Groveport, Lancaster, Licking Heights, Newark, Olentangy, Olentangy Berlin, Olentangy Liberty, Olentangy Orange, Pickerington Central, Pickerington North, Reynoldsburg, St. Charles, Thomas Worthington, Upper Arlington, Westerville Central, Westerville North, Westerville South, Worthington Kilbourne
Division II, Region 7
Ashland, Big Walnut, Canal Winchester, DeSales, Hamilton Township, Independence, Logan, Louisville, Marion Harding, Massillon Perry, Massillon Washington, Mifflin, Mount Vernon, New Albany, Northland, North Canton Hoover, Teays Valley, Uniontown Green, Uniontown Lake, Walnut Ridge, Watkins Memorial, Watterson, Whetstone, Whitehall, Wooster
Division II, Region 8
Briggs, Cincinnati Aiken, Cincinnati Anderson, Cincinnati La Salle, Cincinnati Turpin, Cincinnati Withrow, Dayton Belmont, Fairborn, Franklin Heights, Hamilton Badin, Hamilton Ross, Harrison, Kings Mills Kings, Lima Senior, Loveland, Oxford Talawanda, Piqua, Riverside Stebbins, Sidney, Trenton Edgewood, Trotwood-Madison, Troy, Vandalia Butler, West, Xenia
Division III, Region 11
Athens, Beechcroft, Bexley, Bloom-Carroll, Centennial, Dover, Dresden Tri-Valley, East, Eastmoor Academy, Gallipolis Gallia Academy, Granville, Hartley, Jackson, Jonathan Alder, KIPP Columbus, Licking Valley, Linden-McKinley, Marietta, New Philadelphia, South, Steubenville, Thornville Sheridan, Vincent Warren, Zanesville, Zanesville Maysville
Division IV, Region 14
Bay Village Bay, Bellefontaine Benjamin Logan, Bellevue, Bellville Clear Fork, Bryan, Caledonia River Valley, Clyde, Elida, Fostoria, Highland, Kenton, Lorain Clearview, Medina Buckeye, Millbury Lake, Napoleon, Oberlin Firelands, Ottawa-Glandorf, Rossford, Sandusky Perkins, Sheffield Brookside, Shelby, Tontogany Otsego, Upper Sandusky, Van Wert, Wauseon
Division IV, Region 15
Albany Alexander, Belmont Union Local, Buckeye Valley, Cambridge, Canton South, Carrollton, Circleville, Duncan Falls Philo, East Liverpool, East Liverpool Beaver, Fairfield Union, Gnadenhutten Indian Valley, Heath, Johnstown, Lakewood, Marion-Franklin, Millersburg West Holmes, Minerva, New Concord John Glenn, New Lexington, Ready, St. Clairsville, Uhrichsville Claymont, Waverly, Wintersville Indian Creek, Zanesville West Muskingum
Division IV, Region 16
Cincinnati Clark Montessori, Cincinnati Hills Christian Academy, Cincinnati North College Hill, Cincinnati Shroder, Cincinnati Taft, Cincinnati Woodward, Cincinnati Wyoming, Clarksville Clinton-Massie, Cleves Taylor, Dayton Dunbar, Dayton Meadowdale, Dayton Northridge, Dayton Oakwood, Eaton, Germantown Valley View, Greenfield McClain, London, New Richmond, Norwood, Reading, St. Bernard Roger Bacon, Springfield Kenton Ridge, Springfield Shawnee, Urbana, Washington Court House, Wilmington
Division V, Region 18
Apple Creek Waynedale, Archbold, Bluffton, Brooklyn, Castalia Margaretta, Coldwater, Creston Norwayne, Fairview Park, Findlay Liberty-Benton, Galion, Genoa Area, LaGrange Keystone, Lewistown Indian Lake, Lima Bath, Marion Pleasant, Milan Edison, North Union, Northwood, Oak Harbor, Pemberville Eastwood, Port Clinton, Swanton, Vermilion, Willard, Wooster Triway
Division V, Region 19
Africentric, Amanda-Clearcreek, Beverly Fort Frye, Bidwill River Valley, Byesville Meadowbrook, Chesapeake, Coal Grove Dawson-Bryant, Columbus Academy, Coshocton, Fairbanks, Grove City Christian, Ironton, Logan Elm, McArthur Vinton County, McConnelsville Morgan, Piketon, Pomeroy Meigs, Portsmouth, Proctorville Fairland, South Point, Utica, Warsaw River View, Wellston, West Lafayette Ridgewood, Westfall, Wheelersburg, Worthington Christian
Division VI, Region 23
Berne Union, Bridgeport, Caldwell, Cardington, Centerburg, Crooksville, East Knox, Fredericktown, Galion Northmor, Grandview Heights, Hannibal River, Harvest Prep, Liberty Union, Lore City Buckeye Trail, Marion Elgin, Mount Gilead, Nelsonville-York, Newark Catholic, Newcomerstown, North Robinson Colonel Crawford, Northridge, Sarahsville Shenandoah, Sugarcreek Garaway, Waterford, West Jefferson, Woodsfield Monroe Central
Division VI, Region 24
Anna, Chillicothe Huntington, Chillicothe Southeastern, Chillicothe Zane Trace, Cincinnati Finneytown, Cincinnati Miami Valley Christian Academy, Cincinnati College Preparatory Academy, Covington, Deer Park, Fayetteville-Perry, Frankfort Adena, Ironton Rock Hill, Lucasville Valley, Madison-Plains, McDermott Northwest, Mechanicsburg, Minford, New Lebanon Dixie, New Madison Tri-Village, New Paris National Trail, Oak Hill, Portsmouth West, St. Bernard-Elmwood Place, St. Henry, South Vienna Northeastern, Troy Christian, Versailles
Division VII, Region 27
Beaver Eastern, Belpre, Bowerston Conotton Valley, Corning Miller, Crestline, Crown City South Gallia, Danville, Fairfield Christian, Fisher Catholic, Franklin Furnace Green, Glouster Trimble, Loudonville, Lucas, Millersport, New Matamoras Frontier, New Philadelphia Tuscarawas Central Catholic, Portsmouth Notre Dame, Portsmouth Sciotoville Community, Racine Southern, Reedsville Eastern, Shadyside, Steubenville Catholic Central, Stewart Federal Hocking, Strasburg-Franklin, Toronto, Willow Wood Symmes Valley, Zanesville Rosecrans
High school sports reporter Dave Purpura can be reached at [email protected] and at @dp_dispatch on X.
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Which central Ohio football teams changed OHSAA playoff regions in 2026?
Continue reading...
