On Monday, the WPIAL announced the new classifications and conference alignments for member schools by way of a 12-6 vote.
This comes after the PIAA moved to expand high school athletic classifications by two classes from four to six overall in football, boys and girls basketball, as well as baseball and softball starting with the 2016-17 school year.
As a result of the expanded classifications, the WPIAL announced previously, the championships for each class will not all be played at Heinz Field as they have in the past. Four classes will still have their championship games held at Heinz Field on the same day: Class 6A, 5A, 4A, and 3A all. Classes 2A and 1A will have their championship games played at a different venue a week later. As a result of the playoff schedule, only eight teams would make the playoffs in Class 6A, 5A, 4A, and 3A while 16 teams would make the playoffs in Class 2A and 1A.
As for where the two championships that will not be played at Heinz Field will be played, WPIAL Executive Director Tim O’Malley said the WPIAL would like for the games to played at Highmark Stadium on the South Side or a college stadium such as Robert Morris or Geneva College.
The new conference alignments for the next two academic years for football will be:
Class 6A: 14 teams
Section 1: North Allegheny, Seneca Valley, Butler, Pine-Richland, Shaler, Central Catholic, Penn Hills.
Section 2: Hempfield, Norwin, Altoona, Bethel Park, Peters Township, Mt. Lebanon, Canon McMillan.
Class 5A: 18 teams
Section 1: Upper St. Clair, Baldwin, Fox Chapel, Woodland Hills, North Hills, Moon, Chartiers Valley, Hampton, West Allegheny.
Section 2: Latrobe, Gateway, McKeesport, Franklin Regional, Kiski, Penn Trafford, Connellsville, Armstrong, Plum.
Class 4A: 18 teams
Section 1: New Castle, Blackhawk, Ambridge, Mars, Montour, South Fayette, Knoch, Highlands, Indiana.
Section 2: West Mifflin, Thomas Jefferson, Greensburg Salem, Ringgold, Trinity, Belle Vernon, Uniontown, Laurel Highlands, Albert Gallatin.
Class 3A: 23 teams
Section 1: Aliquippa, Ellwood City, Beaver, Beaver Falls, Central Valley, Hopewell, Quaker Valley.
Section 2: Apollo Ridge, Burrell, Shady Side Academy, Deer Lakes, Keystone Oaks, Seton-LaSalle, Freeport, Valley.
Section 3: Waynesburg, Elizabeth Forward, Yough, South Park, McGuffey, Mt. Pleasant, Derry, Southmoreland.
Class 2A: 24 teams
Section 1: Serra, East Allegheny, Vincentian, Steel Valley, South Allegheny, Avonworth, Carlynton, Brentwood.
Section 2: Riverside, New Brighton, South Side Beaver, Mohawk, Freedom, Cardinal Wuerl North Catholic, Laurel, Neshannock.
Section 3: Brownsville, Charleroi, Washington, Beth Center, Burgettstown, Bentworth, Frazier, Chartiers-Houston
Class 1A: 25 teams
Section 1: Bishop Canevin, Riverview, Jeannette, Greensburg Central Catholic, Clairton, Leechburg, Springdale, Imani Christian.
Section 2: Fort Cherry, Carmichaels, California, Monessen, Jefferson-Morgan, Mapletown, Avella, West Greene.
Section 3: Shenango, Summit, Our Lady of the Sacred Heart, Rochester, Western Beaver, Union, Cornell, Sto-Rox, Northgate.
The conference alignments for boys basketball will be:
Class 6A: 22 teams
Section 1: Butler, Seneca Valley, North Allegheny, North Hills, Shaler, Pine-Richland, Central Catholic.
Section 2: Canon-McMillan, Peters Township, Upper St. Clair, Bethel Park, Baldwin, Mt. Lebanon, Connellsville.
Section 3: Latrobe, Hempfield, Penn-Trafford, Norwin, Plum, Penn Hills, Fox Chapel, Woodland Hills.
Class 5A: 20 teams
Section 1: Laurel Highlands, Albert Gallatin, Trinity, Ringgold, Thomas Jefferson, West Mifflin, McKeesport.
Section 2: Knoch, Mars, Hampton, Moon, West Allegheny, Chartiers Valley, Montour.
Section 3: Gateway, Franklin Regional, Greensburg Salem, Kiski Area, Highlands, Armstrong.
Class 4A: 23 teams
Section 1: Deer Lakes, Freeport, Indiana, Derry, Mt. Pleasant, Yough, Valley.
Section 2: New Castle, Beaver, Beaver Falls, Blackhawk, Hopewell, Ambridge, Central Valley, Quaker Valley.
Section 3: Elizabeth Forward, McGuffey, Waynesburg, Uniontown, Belle Vernon, South Park, South Fayette, Keystone Oaks.
Class 3A: 25 teams
Section 1: Mohawk, Ellwood City, Riverside, New Brighton, Lincoln Park, Aliquippa.
Section 2: Avonworth, Carlynton, Seton-LaSalle, Cardinal Wuerl North Catholic, Freedom, Brentwood.
Section 3: South Allegheny, Steel Valley, East Allegheny, Shady Side Academy, Burrell, Apollo-Ridge.
Section 4: South Side Beaver, Burgettstown, Washington, Beth-Center, Brownsville, Charleroi, Southmoreland.
Class 2A: 22 teams
Section 1: Summit, Leechburg, Springdale, Jeannette, Serra, Greensburg Central Catholic, Riverview.
Section 2: Fort Cherry, Chartiers-Houston, Bentworth, California, Frazier, Jefferson-Morgan, Carmichaels.
Section 3: Bishop Canevin, Sto-Rox, Northgate, Sewickley Academy, Our Lady of the Sacred Heart, Neshannock, Shenango, Laurel.
Class 1A: 19 teams
Section 1: Union, Western Beaver, Rochester, Quigley, Vincentian, Holy Family, Cornell.
Section 2: Avella, West Greene, Mapletown, Geibel, Monessen, Clairton.
Section 3: Propel Andrew Street, Eden Christian, St. Joseph, Winchester Thurston, Imani Christian, Trinity Christian.
The conference alignments for girls basketball will be:
Class 6A: 18 teams
Section 1: Butler, North Allegheny, North Hills, Pine-Richland, Seneca Valley, Shaler.
Section 2: Fox Chapel, Hempfield, Latrobe, Norwin, Penn Hills, Penn-Trafford.
Section 3: Baldwin, Bethel Park, Canon-McMillan, Mt. Lebanon, Peters Township, Upper St. Clair.
Class 5A: 26 teams
Section 1: Chartiers Valley, Lincoln Park, Moon, Montour, South Fayette, West Allegheny.
Section 2: Gateway, McKeesport, Oakland Catholic, Thomas Jefferson, West Mifflin, Woodland Hills.
Section 3: Albert Gallatin, Connellsville, Greensburg Salem, Laurel Highlands, Ringgold, Trinity, Uniontown.
Section 4: Armstrong, Franklin Regional, Hampton, Indiana, Kiski, Mars, Plum.
Class 4A: 22 teams
Section 1: Burrell, Deer Lakes, Freeport, Highlands, Knoch, North Catholic, Valley.
Section 2: Ambridge, Beaver, Blackhawk, Central Valley, Hopewell, New Castle, Quaker Valley.
Section 3: Belle Vernon, Derry, Elizabeth Forward, Keystone Oaks, Mt. Pleasant, South Park, Southmoreland, Yough.
Class 3A: 21 teams
Section 1: Beaver Falls, Ellwood City, Freedom, Laurel, Mohawk, Neshannock, Riverside.
Section 2: Brownsville, Charleroi, East Allegheny, McGuffey, South Allegheny, South Side Beaver, Waynesburg.
Section 3: Apollo-Ridge, Avonworth, Bishop Canevin, Carlynton, Seton-LaSalle, Shady Side Academy, Steel Valley.
Class 2A: 24 teams
Section 1: Aliquippa, Burgettstown, Chartiers-Houston, Fort Cherry, New Brighton, Our Lady of the Sacred Heart, Shenango, Washington.
Section 2: Brentwood, Ellis, Leechburg, Northgate, Riverview, Springdale, Sto-Rox, Vincentian.
Section 3: Bentworth, Beth-Center, California, Carmichaels, Frazier, Greensburg Central Catholic, Jeannette, Serra.
Class 1A: 17 teams
Section 1: Cornell, Mapletown, Quigley, Rochester, Sewickley Academy, Union.
Section 2: Avella, Geibel, Jefferson-Morgan, Monessen, Propel Andrew Street, West Greene.
Section 3: Clairton, Eden Christian, Imani Christian, St. Joseph, Winchester Thurston.
