As most of you have probably heard, the Georgia High School Association on Monday voted to create a ‘’Big 44’’ classification that will be the state’s highest class beginning in 2016-17.
The Big 44 will comprise the top 10 percent of schools by enrollment and be about 70 percent the size of the current Class AAAAAA (64 schools). The Big 44 won't have exactly 44 schools, or necessarily be called the Big 44 in the end, but it will be about that number, or a little higher.
So, what will the Big 44 look like?
Below, I’ve taken the largest 44 schools based on their 2014-15 enrollment numbers and shaped them into regions. This is not the exact 44 schools that will wind up in the Big 44. Some will be classed lower and replaced by some that aren’t here. The enrollment numbers that will dictate the 2016-17 classification have not been released by the department of education. That will happen in a few weeks.
But, this will provide a glimpse of it.
The biggest thing you’ll see are three regions for Gwinnett County teams.
The next biggest thing you’ll see is a four-team Region 1, and here’s the kicker: The GHSA will no longer allow four-team regions to have four playoff teams. Only three can make it.
But, it might be a moot point, as there is the possibility that Valdosta and Coffee will have the enrollment to make the Big 44, or that Valdosta in particular will choose to play in the Big 44 regardless. Expect current 1-AAAAAA member Lee County to play in the second-highest class next fall.
Schools on this list that might not make the enrollment cutoff are Lovejoy, Marietta, Roswell, Alpharetta, Milton. And perhaps others, but those appear the most likely not to make the cut enrollment-wise.
Schools not on this list that might be classed in the Big 44 are South Cobb, North Paulding, Lakeside-DeKalb, John’s Creek, Valdosta, Westlake, Alcovy, Coffee and probably a couple more.
Looks like the North Fulton County schools are all around the bubble, which makes one wonder if those that just miss the cut will choose to play in the Big 44 to maintain those rivalries. But, with regions of only five to seven schools, it's not hard to maintain those rivalries with non-region games.
Region 1
Camden County
Colquitt County
Lowndes
Tift County
Region 2
East Coweta
Lovejoy
Newnan
Newton
Pebblebrook
Region 3
Campbell
Lassiter
Marietta
Roswell
Walton
Wheeler
Region 4
Cherokee
Etowah
Hillgrove
Kennesaw Mountain
McEachern
North Cobb
Woodstock
Region 5
Alpharetta
Lambert
Milton
North Forsyth
South Forsyth
West Forsyth
Region 6
Berkmar
Central Gwinnett
Collins Hill
Mill Creek
Mountain View
Region 7
Duluth
Meadowcreek
Norcross
North Gwinnett
Peachtree Ridge
Region 8
Archer
Brookwood
Grayson
Parkview
Shiloh
South Gwinnett
