Every two years the UIL realigns districts and Regions which can change how teams are able to compete and advance in UIL competition. The UIL says they make these changes according to enrollment numbers and travel mileage. The new realignments were released Monday at 9am.
Besides immediate reaction to the possible moves, it allows football coaches to finish putting together their football schedules for the next two seasons (2026-27, 2027-28). The realignment could change who they play and how many non-district games they will need to fill the 10 game regular season schedule.
The districts for our area teams did not change much at all. Hardin-Jefferson had already decided they wouldn’t play up this realignment so they join District 10 with the Mustangs. District 10 loses Tarkington who dropped down to Orangefield’s District 10-3A.
The Bears and Cardinals will remain with their same teams in District 9, minus H-J.
The big move was 4A D1 Region 3 losing District 9 to Region 2. That was the Kilgore, Chapel Hill, Lindale, Pine Tree district that has been the District of Doom for our local teams in the playoffs the past several seasons.
Our 4A teams won’t be sad about losing Waco LaVega and Salado to Region 4 either. And Sinton, a perennial playoff team we’ve seen a few times when we make to the semifinals, has moved down to 3A.
Orangefield gains Tarkington and loses the district champs from Hardin who dropped to 3A D2.
Below are the football Region 3 teams and districts for the next two school years.
(Story could be edited with coaches reactions, schedules)
This is what area coaches have as their tentative non-district schedules for the next two years:
Bridge City
Ned (scrim)
Newton (scrim)
Kirbyville
Orangefield
WOS
Silsbee
–
LCM
Silsbee (scrim)
Coldspring (scrim)
Woodville
Jasper
H-F
Orangefield
–
WOS
Newton
Nederland
Bridge City
Bay City
Carthage
–
Orangefield
TBA (Scrim)
H-Fannett (Scrim)
Hardin-Jeff
BC
Woodville
LCM
–
Vidor
WOS (scrim)
Kirbyville (scrim)
Silsbee
H-Fannett
Navasota
Iowa, La
–
Deweyville
Warren (Scrim)
Hardin (Scrim)
Kelly
Hemphill
Kountze
CHEF
–
District realignments for sports other than football
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