Classification is based on the average daily membership as reported by each
school to the State Department of Education.
Special 10/2/00
HERMITAGE, TN - - - Fourteen schools have decided to move up in classification in football for the next four years while six schools have selected a higher classification in the other sports sponsored by the Tennessee Secondary School Athletic Association.
The deadline for TSSAA schools to make changes was Monday, October 2, 2000, noon (CST).
In Division I schools moving up in football are:
- 3A - Cannon County, York Institute, Jackson County, Smith County, Upperman, Trousdale County, and Pigeon Forge
- 4A - Elizabethton High, Greeneville, Unicoi County, and Johnson County
- 5A - Memphis Central and Memphis Overton
In Division I schools moving up in other sports are:
- AA - Alcoa, Manassas, and Nashville East
- AAA - Pearl-Cohn, Greeneville, and Memphis Northside
In Division II schools moving up are:
- Brentwood Academy moving from 2A to 3A in football
The TSSAA Board of Control will meet on Thursday, November 16 at Baptist Hospital in Nashville to determine district and regional assignments.
In the non-financial aid division (Division I), TSSAA schools have been
divided into three classes for basketball, baseball, and softball. In
golf, volleyball, cross country, girls' soccer, track, soccer, and tennis,
there shall be two classifications (Class A-AA and Class AAA). In
wrestling, there is only one classification. In the three classification
plan, schools are classified as follows:
- AAA - Schools with an enrollment of 991 and above
- AA - Schools with an enrollment of 429-990
- A - Schools with an enrollment of 428 and under
Schools in Division I playing football have been divided into five classes
based on the total number of schools playing football; therefore, schools
are classified as follows:
- 5A - Schools with an enrollment of 1,348 and above
- 4A - Schools with an enrollment of 961 to 1,347
- 3A - Schools with an enrollment of 675-957
- 2A - Schools with an enrollment of 364-673
- 1A - Schools with an enrollment of 361 and under
In Division II, there will be three classes in football, as follows:
- Division II 3A - 600 and above
- Division II 2A - 300-599
- Division II 1A - 299 and below
Classification is for a four-year period, 2001-2002, 2002-2003, 2003-2004,
and 2004-2005. At the end of the first two-year period, new schools will
be added and only schools whose enrollment has increased or decreased by 20
percent of their January 2000 enrollment would be moved, provided the
increase or decrease moves them to another classification. A school is not
permitted to move from the classification, as set by the classification
figures, to a lower classification. TSSAA schools desiring to move from a
lower to a higher classification must make written application to the
Executive Director by Noon, October 2, 2000. This application must be in
the state office on or before Noon, October 2, 2000. Schools in both
divisions may move up in football only. In Division I, a school may move
up in sports other than football, but the move will take a school to the
higher classification selected in all sports other than football.
TSSAA will acknowledge with a faxed letter the request of any schools that
make a request to move up in classification. Also, the TSSAA will list on
the web site (www.tssaa.org) on October 2, 2000 the entire list of schools
moving up.
The TSSAA Board of Control, in previous meetings, has made three rules
concerning classification. The first states that any school that withdraws
from the football playoff series shall be ineligible for the basketball
tournament series. The second regulation states that in classification,
TSSAA will not count any new schools entering TSSAA with an enrollment of
less than 100 in determining the classification break for the next two
classification periods after entering the TSSAA. Four schools fall into
that category and they are Stony Fork High School, Carroll Academy, F. C.
Boyd, and 21st Century Preparatory School. The third rule the Board
adopted is as follows: "If an independent school decides to play in the
football playoffs and they do not abide by all parts of Article II, Section
27 (Tuition and Financial Aid Rule) during the two-year year, football
contracts are voided and financial settlements are to be made by mutual
agreement of the schools involved. If arrangements cannot be made between
the schools, the Board will make the decision regarding settlements.
All of this information, along with requests to move up, will be presented
to the TSSAA Board of Control on November 16, 2000 at the Board of Control
meeting at Baptist Hospital in Nashville. The Board will consider any
requests and make adjustments in district and regional memberships that
need to be made. The finalized membership and classification of all
schools for the next four school years will be placed on the TSSAA web site
immediately following the meeting.
Should you have any questions in regard to classification, please feel free
to contact the TSSAA office.
