MHSAA adds 7A classification to high school sports. These Coast schools could be moving up.
The MHSAA executive committee has unanimously passed adding a seventh classification beginning in the next reclassification cycle in 2023-2024.
The idea was originally proposed by director Rickey Neaves in order to reduce the difference in student body size between the biggest and smallest schools in each class.
The three highest divisions will be filled evenly by the largest 72 schools in the state under the new system. Each class will have four regions of six schools.
Based on the latest enrollment numbers, South Mississippi will have seven schools move up to the new 7A class under Neaves’ proposal. They are:
- Ocean Springs
- Gulfport
- Biloxi
- Harrison Central
- Hancock
- D’Iberville
- St. Martin
Some schools, like Pascagoula and West Harrison, stand to directly benefit from the addition, as both will be the largest 6A schools on the Coast.
Others, like St. Martin and D’Iberville, will find themselves at the very bottom of the 7A pool.
Classes 2A through 4A will have 40 schools each, with eight regions of five schools. The lowest class, 1A, will consist of the remaining schools divided evenly in eight regions.
This story was originally published April 7, 2022 at 12:19 PM.
