First look at NCHSAA realignment could come in December, officials say

High school athletics officials and fans should get their first indication by Christmas of which classification their school will join as a part of North Carolina’s upcoming realignment.

That was the word Monday from N.C. High School Athletic Association Commissioner Que Tucker, who presided over a regional meeting in Concord of coaches, athletics directors and principals.

While the first look could come in December, it probably will be the beginning of spring before a final realignment plan is approved to take North Carolina from four to eight size classifications.

“Essentially, we’re on schedule,” Tucker told The Observer after the meeting. “There are a series of steps in the process, and we’re on our way.”

The timing on a finished plan is important, because scheduling for football and other fall sports teams in the 2025 season can’t be done until school officials know the makeup of athletic conferences.

Tucker reviewed the overall plans Monday, noting that the state’s 32 biggest schools will make up Division 1. The remaining schools will be divided, as evenly as possible, in seven classes. This year, there are 443 NCHSAA member schools.

The classifications will be based on schools’ average daily membership (ADM) numbers for the first 20 school days of the 2024-25 academic year. Some schools that opened early in August already have reached their 20th academic day. Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools will reach that deadline next Monday.

“A lot of us have been looking at the numbers from last year, and we have a rough idea of which schools will be in our class,” said Brian Knab, athletics director at Marvin Ridge High. “But there’s really nothing we can do about it now. We’ll have to wait and do the scheduling when we get the final word next spring.”

After the 20-day attendance numbers are finalized and sent to the NCHSAA, probably in late October, a committee will gather and draw up a first draft.

“Hopefully, that will be ready sometime in December,” Tucker said.

Schools will be able to submit their concerns in January, and the NCHSAA’s Realignment Committee will hear appeals early in 2025. CMS executive director of athletics Ericia Turner, the chairperson of the Bylaw Amendment Committee Task Force, said she hopes a final plan will be ready by late February and then go to the NCHSAA’s Board of Directors in March.

“Our committee met for the first time last week,” Turner said. “We’re all set ... just waiting for those 20th-day attendance numbers. I’d describe the process so far as being on schedule.”

NIL update

Tucker said any changes to North Carolina restrictions on student-athletes at public schools signing Name-Image-Likeness (NIL) deals rest with the state’s Board of Education.

Earlier this month, the board discussed a proposal to allow student-athletes to sign contracts to promote products for compensation. There would be limitations, with student-athletes not permitted to endorse alcoholic beverages, tobacco products, firearms and other items.

The N.C. Board of Education said it hopes to have new guidelines in place by January and plans to hold public hearings in the meantime.

Current regulations prohibit North Carolina’s public school student-athletes from signing NIL deals. Those restrictions are being tested by the parents of Greensboro Grimsley quarterback Faizon Brandon, who are suing the board of education over the current regulations.

Brandon’s lawyer told The Observer that his family will have a hearing on a motion for a preliminary injunction at 10 a.m. Sept. 30 in Raleigh.

The N.C. Independent Schools Athletic Association permits its student-athletes to sign NIL deals.

Perfect behavior

Five Mecklenburg County schools were among 15 in the region to receive awards Monday for having no ejections of student-athletes or coaches during sports events in the 2023-24 school year.

The Mecklenburg schools were Community School of Davidson, East Mecklenburg, Harding, Independence and Sugar Creek Charter.

“We have a tutorial program in place with our students, to prepare them for athletics and for life in general,” said Harding athletics director Oscar Walker. “I don’t know how much of an impact that program had, but we’re happy about our record last year.”

Other schools with no ejections were Apprentice Academy (which closed last month), Ashbrook, Carolina International, East Gaston, East Lincoln, Forestview, Highland Tech, Hunter Huss, Piedmont Community Charter, and West Stanly.

And a number of area schools were honored as Wachovia Cup champions in their conferences. The Wachovia Cup is awarded to schools that earn the most points, by advancing through the state playoffs in all sports.

Conference champions were: Charlotte Catholic (Southwestern 4A); East Gaston (Southern Piedmont 1A-2A); Hough (Queen City 3A-4A); Kings Mountain (Big South 3A); Lake Norman (Greater Metro 4 4A); Marvin Ridge (Southern Carolina 4A); Myers Park (SoMeck 4A); North Lincoln (Western Foothills 3A); Northwest Cabarrus (South Piedmont 3A); Piedmont (Rocky River 2A-3A); Piedmont Community Charter (Metro 8 1A); and Union Academy (Yadkin Valley 1A-2A).

Other news

▪ NCHSAA officials said they are hearing concerns from some coaches and athletics directors about the RPI rating system used in part to determine playoff seeding. NCHSAA assistant commissioner Rhonda Dreibelbis said the concerns are over the part of the rankings that award points for how a school’s beaten opponents’ opponents’ fare. She said the system is under study, but added that there won’t be any changes in the 2024-25 academic year.

▪ The Charlotte area is about to get more football-playing high schools. Lincoln Charter and Langtree Charter high schools are playing junior varsity football this fall and plan to add varsity teams. And officials at Bradford Prep, in the Mallard Creek area, said Monday they have launched a football program in middle school and are considering adding a junior varsity team soon.