The Georgia High School Association is waiting on Department of Education enrollment numbers before placing schools into classifications for the 2024-25 and 2025-26 academic years. During the most recent reclassification in 2021, that news broke the first week in November.
Below are what the classes might have looked like this season had the new reclassification format – Class 6A through A with a 3A-A private division – been in place. The teams are ranked by the computer Maxwell Ratings, with their current classifications in parentheses.
Keep in mind this is not a projection of the final classes that will start in 2024, as those will be based on enrollment statistics that will have changed significantly since 2021. Instead, these rankings are intended to provide some indication of what seven classes (instead of the current eight) and a 3A-A private division might look and feel like. For example, Class 6A, which will be the highest class starting in 2024, is projected to have 64 teams in it. Currently, Class 7A has 45 teams.
These hypothetical classes, based on 2020-21 enrollment and out-of-zone numbers, also reflect the fact that the GHSA granted several appeals for private schools to play up or down in 2022, when St. Pius and Woodward Academy got out of their assignment to the highest class and Pace Academy, Trinity Christian and Holy Innocents’ were allowed to move up into 4A.
Worth watching next month will be the movement of private schools again in response to the new 3A-A plan, which will have private schools below 4A playing for state championships separate from public schools. Larger private schools that fall into 3A or 2A, perhaps Calvary Day, Savannah Christian and Wesleyan, might appeal to play up into 4A to skirt the private division. Smaller private schools might be tempted to leave the GHSA for the GIAA, as did about a dozen schools in 2021.
Also yet to be seen is the impact of new GHSA rules defining out-of-zone students. The 3.0 multiplier is not expected to be as potent this time, meaning some city and private schools or others with high out-of-zone totals could slip back into lower classes.
Class 6A
Mill Creek (7A)
Walton (7A)
Colquitt County (7A)
Newton (7A)
Douglas County (6A)
Buford (7A)
Carrollton (7A)
Westlake (7A)
Gainesville (6A)
Grayson (7A)
North Cobb (7A)
Norcross (7A)
Peachtree Ridge (7A)
Rome (6A)
Houston County (6A)
Milton (7A)
Parkview (7A)
Archer (7A)
McEachern (7A)
North Gwinnett (7A)
North Atlanta (6A)
North Paulding (7A)
Valdosta (7A)
West Forsyth (7A)
East Coweta (7A)
Lambert (7A)
Camden County (7A)
Marietta (7A)
Collins Hill (7A)
East Paulding (6A)
Wheeler (7A)
South Gwinnett (7A)
Harrison (7A)
Osborne (7A)
Brookwood (7A)
Richmond Hill (7A)
Mountain View (7A)
North Forsyth (6A)
Denmark (7A)
Lowndes (7A)
Hillgrove (7A)
Cherokee (7A)
Etowah (6A)
Pebblebrook (7A)
South Paulding (6A)
Duluth (7A)
South Forsyth (7A)
Newnan (6A)
Dacula (7A)
Central Gwinnett (7A)
Campbell (7A)
Forsyth Central (7A)
Paulding County (6A)
Kennesaw Mountain (7A)
Tift County (6A)
Shiloh (6A)
Alexander (6A)
Lassiter (6A)
Meadowcreek (7A)
South Cobb (6A)
Lakeside (Atlanta) (6A)
Berkmar (7A)
Discovery (7A)
Rockdale County (6A)
Class 5A
Thomas County Central (6A)
Hughes (6A)
Lee County (6A)
Marist (6A)
Woodward Academy (6A)
Roswell (6A)
Cartersville (5A)
Blessed Trinity (6A)
Kell (5A)
Lanier (6A)
Greater Atlanta Christian (5A)
Creekview (6A)
Sequoyah (6A)
Dalton (5A)
Ola (5A)
Brunswick (6A)
Northside (Warner Robins) (6A)
Alpharetta (6A)
Effingham County (6A)
River Ridge (6A)
Cambridge (5A)
Clarke Central (5A)
Veterans (6A)
Dunwoody (6A)
Glynn Academy (6A)
Dutchtown (5A)
Habersham Central (6A)
Tucker (5A)
Sprayberry (6A)
Mundy’s Mill (6A)
Lovejoy (6A)
East Forsyth (4A)
Jonesboro (6A)
St. Pius X (6A)
Allatoona (6A)
Chapel Hill (5A)
Decatur (5A)
Pope (6A)
Loganville (5A)
Winder-Barrow (5A)
Centennial (5A)
New Manchester (6A)
South Effingham (6A)
Evans (6A)
Woodstock (6A)
Chattahoochee (5A)
Riverwood (6A)
Lakeside (Evans) (6A)
Alcovy (6A)
Grovetown (6A)
Seckinger (4A)
Heritage (Conyers) (5A)
Union Grove (5A)
Chamblee (5A)
Apalachee (6A)
Morrow (6A)
Johns Creek (6A)
KIPP Atlanta Collegiate (2A)
Forest Park (6A)
Class 4A
Coffee (5A)
North Oconee (4A)
Stockbridge (4A)
Benedictine (4A)
Jefferson (5A)
Perry (4A)
Calhoun (5A)
Ware County (5A)
Creekside (5A)
Hiram (5A)
Trinity Christian (4A)
Jones County (5A)
Holy Innocents’ (4A)
Starr’s Mill (4A)
Westminster (4A)
Harris County (5A)
Warner Robins (5A)
Northgate (5A)
Eastside (5A)
Flowery Branch (5A)
Hapeville Charter (4A)
Cass (5A)
Pace Academy (4A)
Villa Rica (5A)
Lovett (4A)
Whitewater (4A)
Jackson County (6A)
Jenkins (5A)
McIntosh (5A)
Northside (Columbus) (5A)
Northwest Whitfield (4A)
Luella (4A)
Maynard Jackson (5A)
Banneker (5A)
Statesboro (5A)
Woodland (Cartersville) (5A)
Lithia Springs (5A)
Bradwell Institute (5A)
Cedar Shoals (4A)
Drew (5A)
Eagle’s Landing (5A)
Walnut Grove (4A)
Griffin (4A)
Tri-Cities (5A)
Greenbrier (5A)
Druid Hills (4A)
Locust Grove (5A)
Lithonia (5A)
Shaw (4A)
Hardaway (4A)
M.L. King (5A)
Johnson (Gainesville) (4A)
North Springs (5A)
Midtown (5A)
Riverdale (4A)
Mount Zion (Jonesboro) (4A)
Southeast Whitfield (4A)
Northview (5A)
Clarkston (4A)
Cross Keys (5A)
Class 3A
Cedar Grove (3A)
Spalding (4A)
Bainbridge (4A)
Mary Persons (3A)
Central (Carrollton) (4A)
Troup (4A)
Cairo (4A)
Burke County (4A)
Mays (5A)
Sandy Creek (3A)
Stephenson (4A)
LaGrange (4A)
Carver (Columbus) (3A)
Baldwin (4A)
Cedartown (4A)
Wayne County (4A)
North Hall (4A)
Madison County (4A)
White County (3A)
Upson-Lee (3A)
Howard (4A)
Harlem (3A)
New Hampstead (4A)
Miller Grove (4A)
Oconee County (3A)
Monroe (3A)
Douglass (3A)
Adairsville (3A)
Westside (Macon) (4A)
Hephzibah (3A)
Cherokee Bluff (4A)
Bremen (3A)
Sonoraville (4A)
Southeast Bulloch (4A)
Dougherty (3A)
Westover (4A)
Hampton (4A)
McDonough (4A)
Gilmer (3A)
Southwest DeKalb (4A)
West Laurens (4A)
Ringgold (3A)
Heritage (Ringgold) (4A)
Woodland (Stockbridge) (4A)
North Clayton (4A)
Pickens (3A)
Richmond Academy (3A)
West Hall (3A)
East Hall (4A)
Fayette County (4A)
Chestatee (4A)
Ridgeland (3A)
Cross Creek (3A)
Johnson (Savannah) (3A)
Salem (3A)
Columbus (3A)
Islands (4A)
Stone Mountain (4A)
Central (Macon) (2A)
3A-A Private
Calvary Day (3A)
Prince Avenue Christian (A-I)
Savannah Christian (3A)
Fellowship Christian (2A)
Athens Academy (2A)
Hebron Christian (3A)
Providence Christian (2A)
Wesleyan (3A)
Mount Vernon (A-I)
Aquinas (A-II)
North Cobb Christian (2A)
Savannah Country Day (3A)
Eagle’s Landing Christian (2A)
Whitefield Academy (A-I)
Darlington (A-I)
St. Francis (A-I)
Christian Heritage (A-II)
Mount Pisgah Christian (A-I)
Mount Paran Christian (2A)
Landmark Christian (2A)
Walker (2A)
King’s Ridge Christian (A-I)
Athens Christian (A-I)
Class 2A
Stephens County (3A)
Pierce County (2A)
Lumpkin County (3A)
Appling County (2A)
Morgan County (3A)
Callaway (2A)
Thomson (2A)
Rockmart (2A)
Thomasville (3A)
Cook (2A)
Carver (Atlanta) (3A)
Monroe Area (3A)
Peach County (3A)
Arabia Mountain (5A)
Hart County (3A)
Crisp County (3A)
Union County (2A)
Columbia (2A)
East Jackson (2A)
Sumter County (2A)
ACE Charter (2A)
Model (2A)
Long County (3A)
North Murray (2A)
Dawson County (3A)
Therrell (2A)
Spencer (2A)
Vidalia (2A)
Westside (Augusta) (2A)
Pelham (A-I)
Gordon Lee (3A)
Jackson (3A)
Coahulla Creek (3A)
Haralson County (2A)
Redan (2A)
Washington (2A)
South Atlanta (2A)
LaFayette (3A)
Liberty County (3A)
Tattnall County (2A)
Lakeview-Fort Oglethorpe (3A)
Franklin County (3A)
Rutland (2A)
Murray County (2A)
Windsor Forest (2A)
Brantley County (2A)
Beach (3A)
Pike County (3A)
Kendrick (2A)
Gordon Central (2A)
Groves (3A)
Jordan (2A)
Class A Division I
Northeast (2A)
Toombs County (2A)
Swainsboro (A-I)
Fitzgerald (2A)
Elbert County (A-I)
Rabun County (A-I)
Commerce (A-I)
Trion (A-I)
Bryan County (A-I)
Laney (2A)
Bleckley County (A-I)
Lamar County (A-I)
Dublin (A-I)
Brooks County (A-I)
Bacon County (A-I)
Putnam County (2A)
Jeff Davis (2A)
Washington County (2A)
Pepperell (A-I)
Fannin County (2A)
Early County (A-II)
Banks County (2A)
Temple (A-I)
Jasper County (A-I)
Worth County (2A)
Dodge County (2A)
Dade County (A-I)
Screven County (A-I)
Oglethorpe County (A-I)
East Laurens (A-I)
Social Circle (A-I)
Southwest (2A)
Armuchee (A-I)
Heard County (A-I)
Berrien (2A)
McNair (2A)
Chattooga (A-I)
Jefferson County (A-I)
Butler (2A)
Coosa (A-I)
Towers (2A)
Glenn Hills (2A)
Josey (2A)
Savannah (A-I)
Class A Division II
Greene County (A-II)
Schley County (A-II)
Bowdon (A-II)
Telfair County (A-II)
Manchester (A-II)
Clinch County (A-II)
Jenkins County (A-II)
Macon County (A-II)
Lincoln County (A-II)
Irwin County (A-I)
Portal (A-II)
Metter (A-I)
Wilcox County (A-II)
Lanier County (A-II)
Dooly County (A-II)
Emanuel County Institute (A-II)
Washington-Wilkes (A-II)
Johnson County (A-II)
Hawkinsville (A-II)
McIntosh County Academy (A-II)
Charlton County (A-II)
Wheeler County (A-II)
Turner County (A-II)
Treutlen (A-II)
Wilkinson County (A-II)
Seminole County (A-II)
Miller County (A-II)
Randolph-Clay (A-II)
Terrell County (A-II)
Marion County (A-II)
Taylor County (A-II)
Lake Oconee Academy (A-II)
Mount Zion (Carroll) (A-II)
Warren County (A-II)
B.E.S.T. Academy (2A)
Hancock Central (A-II)
Mitchell County (A-II)
Greenville (A-II)
Claxton (A-I)
Glascock County (A-II)
GMC Prep (A-II)
Montgomery County (A-II)
Atkinson County (A-II)
Chattahoochee County (A-II)
Pataula Charter (A-II)
Crawford County (A-I)
Towns County (A-II)
Baconton Charter (A-II)
Central (Talbotton) (A-II)
Twiggs County (A-II)
Produced by Georgia High School Football Daily, a free e-mail newsletter. To join the mailing list, click here.
About the Author
