By Michael Adams
Austin Sports Journal

The University Interscholastic League will reveal new athletic districts for the 2026-28 school years on Feb. 2 as part of its biannual redistricting and reclassification process.

The Austin Sports Journal will preview realignment all week with predictions and scenarios that could reshape the Austin-San Antonio area over the next two athletic seasons.

The UIL has already released enrollment numbers and classification cutoffs, so there’s no mystery about which schools are moving up and which are dropping down.

 The challenge is projecting how the UIL will build the new districts – something no one knows for sure until the official release.

What we know

Class 6A will look very different across Austin and San Antonio. Longtime district rivalries could be split up, and a “super district” is in play.

Here’s what we know heading into Feb. 2:

• The cutoff for Class 6A will be 2,215, expanding the area’s 6A footprint to 24 schools, up from 19 in the last realignment cycle.
• Manor will drop to Class 5A, while Cedar Park, Leander, Rouse, East View, Hays and Comal Pieper will move up to Class 6A.
• The additions of Cedar Park, Leander and Rouse give Leander ISD five total 6A high schools, joining Vista Ridge and Vandegrift. Those five schools could have a major influence on how Class 6A shapes up across the region.

Leander ISD’s impact

The UIL rarely separates schools within the same school district. When it does, it’s usually because the numbers don’t allow every school to fit cleanly into one district, such as Frisco ISD in the Dallas area.

That means the five Leander ISD schools and the five Round Rock ISD schools will likely be split into two separate districts.

That leaves the rest of the region – including the three Austin ISD schools (Akins, Bowie and Austin High), the two Hays CISD schools (Hays and Johnson), and the two Comal ISD schools (Canyon and Pieper) – as the remaining pieces of the puzzle, along with single-school districts such as Westlake, Lake Travis, Dripping Springs, Hutto, Del Valle and San Marcos.

In the current alignment, Hutto, Manor, Vandegrift and Vista Ridge fit cleanly into District 25-6A with the Round Rock ISD schools, while Westlake, Lake Travis, Dripping Springs and Del Valle anchored District 26-6A in South Austin.

That alignment is likely to change with five Leander ISD schools now in Class 6A.

Why it matters

UIL realignment isn’t just a reshuffle on paper, it can change everything from rivalry games and travel time to playoff paths across every sport. A new district draw can create tougher schedules, separate longtime opponents and shift competitive balance for programs trying to build momentum.

For Class 6A in the Austin-San Antonio area, the biggest impact will come from how the UIL groups the Leander ISD and Round Rock ISD schools.

That decision could determine whether the region ends up with a “super district” loaded with perennial state powerhouses or more balanced districts that spread out the power. Either way, the new alignment will shape league races, seeding and postseason matchups for the next two years.

Scenarios to consider

There are three realistic outcomes for how the UIL could build the district featuring the Leander ISD schools:

• Scenario 1: The UIL places Westlake, Lake Travis and Dripping Springs with the Leander ISD schools. That would create a true “District of Doom” featuring multiple football powerhouses. It’s the most logical scenario, but it’s not a lock.
• Scenario 2: The UIL places the Austin ISD schools with the Leander ISD schools to form an eight-team district. That could push Westlake, Lake Travis and Dripping Springs south with Johnson, Del Valle, Hays and possibly San Marcos to create a separate district.
• Scenario 3: Del Valle shifts north into the Round Rock-area district to create an eight-team alignment. If that happens, Canyon and Pieper could join a district with Hays, Johnson, Westlake, Lake Travis, Dripping Springs and San Marcos to complete a full eight-team setup. It’s a long shot, but it would help solve some geographic issues for the San Antonio area.

Scenario 1 may be the favorite on paper, but Scenario 2 could be the one that actually plays out.

Either way, the answers are coming soon.