HARLINGEN — The University Interscholastic League (UIL) released its 2022-24 reclassification and realignment Thursday morning, shaking up the high school sports scene across the state for the next two years. Its impact on the Rio Grande Valley continues to be the loss of Class 6A schools, but the strengthening of Class 5A competitors with Edinburg Vela, Harlingen South and PSJA North, among others, dropping from the UIL’s highest classification.
GOING DOWN
The latest reclassification and realignment includes eight RGV teams moving down a classification — Brownsville Porter, Donna North, Edinburg Vela, Grulla, Harlingen South, La Joya Juarez-Lincoln, PSJA North and Rio Hondo.
The group includes two football teams that were crowned champions of their respective districts in 2021 in Edinburg Vela and Harlingen South, and two that reached the regional semifinals of the Class 6A playoffs last year in the PSJA North Raiders and Edinburg Vela SaberCats.
Edinburg Vela, La Joya Juarez-Lincoln and PSJA North went from District 31-6A a season ago to District 15-5A Division I for the next two years. They’ll compete against La Joya Palmview, McAllen High, McAllen Memorial, McAllen Rowe and Rio Grande City in football.
“There’s going to be some good football teams not in the playoffs in the next two years with the way the realignment is,” PSJA North football head coach Marcus Kaufmann said. “There’s five playoff teams in that district and it’s going to be tough. It’s going to be a dogfight to see who can get out.”
In basketball and volleyball, the SaberCats and Raiders will compete in District 31-5A, a 10-team gauntlet featuring the three McAllen high schools, PSJA Memorial, PSJA Southwest, Sharyland High, Sharyland Pioneer and Valley View.
Donna North and Harlingen South football will be in 16-5A Division I for the next two seasons with Brownsville Lopez, Brownsville Pace, Brownsville Veterans, Donna High and Weslaco East.
Edinburg Vela football head coach John Campbell said the recent movement of local powerhouses down to the Class 5A level bodes well for an area team’s chances at a postseason run.
“I think the entirety of the Rio Grande Valley has reason to be excited. … I think there’s enough talent and enough good programs there that are spread between two districts (15-5A DI and 16-5A DI),” he said. “I really think that gives the Rio Grande Valley an opportunity to make a pretty deep run into the playoffs. I think all in all, chalk it up as a success for the entirety of the Valley.”
Grulla goes from Class 16-4A Division I to 16-4A Division II in a four-team football district with Bishop, Port Isabel and Raymondville, while Rio Hondo moves from 4A-DII to 16-3A DI.
VENTURING OUT
Changes to Class 5A Division II will result in a handful of RGV teams having to venture out a little further than normal for their district football games.
Brownsville Porter, Edcouch-Elsa, Mercedes and Valley View are joined by Corpus Christi Flour Bluff and Gregory-Portland in the new-look District 15-5A Division II. Brownsville Porter moved from Class 5A Division I to Division II, which also keeps the classic rivalry between Edcouch-Elsa and Mercedes alive.
“We knew this was always an option with predictions coming out. We’re excited to be with two teams that are traditionally powerhouses in their district and it will give us something new in traveling,” Mercedes football head coach Roger Adame said. “We get to play some new teams, some new faces we’ve never seen before and we’re excited for the challenge.”
Hidalgo and La Feria’s football teams are also headed toward Corpus Christi to compete in District 16-4A Division I against Alice, Corpus Christi Calallen, Corpus Christi Tuloso-Midway, Kingsville King and Zapata.
“That one I didn’t really expect, bringing Corpus down here,” Hidalgo football head coach Monty Stumbaugh said. “I thought maybe Alice would drop down, but we’re in a seven-team district. It’s going to be a tough district. Calallen is always tough, Alice is always tough, Midway is tough, it’s going to be a tough district and that’s what we got, so now we got to get ready to play.”
UIL 2022-24 FOOTBALL REALIGNMENT & ENROLLMENT
DISTRICT 31-6A
Team 2020-22 2022-24
Edinburg Economedes 2,739 2,704
Edinburg High 2,565 2,438
Edinburg North 2,763 2,696
La Joya High 2,854 2,826
Mission High 2,339 2,325
PSJA High 2,463 2,453
DISTRICT 32-6A
Team 2020-22 2022-24
Brownsville Hanna 2,609 2,394
Brownsville Rivera 2,504 2,381
Harlingen High 3,134 2,684
Los Fresnos 3,313 3,199
San Benito 3,074 2,924
Weslaco High 2,651 2,641.5
DISTRICT 15-5A DIVISION I
Team 2020-22 2022-24
Edinburg Vela 2,301 2,191
La Joya Juarez-Lincoln 2,285 2,098
La Joya Palmview 2,195 2,188
McAllen High 2,201 2,222
McAllen Memorial 2,115 2202.5
McAllen Rowe 2,165 1,996
PSJA North 2,224 2,110
Rio Grande City 2,160 2,068
DISTRICT 16-5A DIVISION I
Team 2020-22 2022-24
Brownsville Lopez 2,055.5 1,934
Brownsville Pace 2,151 2,018
Brownsville Veterans 2,152 2,068
Donna High 2,172 2,099
Donna North 2,257 2,208.5
Harlingen South 2,328 2,105
Weslaco East 2,184 2,157.5
DISTRICT 15-5A DIVISION II
Team 2020-22 2022-24
Brownsville Porter 2,011.5 1,891
Edcouch-Elsa 1,467 1,320.5
Mercedes 1,503 1,461
Valley View 1,455 1,368
Corpus Christi Flour Bluff
Gregory-Portland
DISTRICT 16-5A DIVISION II
Team 2020-22 2022-24
Mission Veterans 1,874 1,905
PSJA Memorial 1,852.5 1,851
PSJA Southwest 1,837 1,724
Roma 1,772 1,768
Sharyland High 1,760 1,751
Sharyland Pioneer 1,756 1,613
DISTRICT 16-4A DIVISION I
Team 2020-22 2022-24
Hidalgo 1,089 1,064.5
La Feria 1,005 923
Alice
Corpus Christi Calallen
Kingsville King
Tuloso-Midway
Zapata
DISTRICT 16-4A DIVISION II
Team 2020-22 2022-24
Grulla 918 857
Port Isabel 675 594
Raymondville 590 553
Bishop
DISTRICT 16-3A DIVISION I
Team 2020-22 2022-24
Lyford 483 460
Progreso 501 465
Rio Hondo 555 515
Falfurrias
San Diego
Santa Gertrudis Academy
DISTRICT 16-3A DIVISION II
Team 2020-22 2022-24
Monte Alto 265 305
Santa Rosa 308 284
Banquete
George West
Hebbronville
Odem
Taft
DISTRICT 16-2A DIVISION I
Team 2020-22 2022-24
La Villa 184 186
Santa Maria 201 169
Ben Bolt Palito-Blanco
Freer
Premont
Riviera Kaufer
