UIL realignment season is always a mix of anticipation, anxiety, and good old-fashioned Texas football talk, and the 2026–2028 cycle fits that bill perfectly. After schools across the state submitted enrollment numbers in late 2025, the UIL released new cutoff figures just before the new year, setting off another round of movement across classifications and districts.
Some schools moved up. Others slid down. Almost everyone learned a new district schedule.
For fans across the Texas Panhandle and South Plains, this realignment means new matchups, different road trips, and a few rivalries either getting refreshed or temporarily shelved. While this cycle didn’t deliver the chaos of some past realignments, there was still plenty to unpack when the football districts were unveiled Monday morning at Happy Bank State Stadium in Canyon.
Some coaching staffs opened their packets and saw exactly what they expected. Others immediately started reworking schedules. And a few were genuinely surprised by where they landed.
Below is a look at how football, basketball, and volleyball districts shape up for Amarillo-area and Panhandle schools over the next two years.
BIG SCHOOLS, BIG QUESTIONS — CLASS 5A
Class 5A Division I — District 2-5A DI
One of the biggest questions heading into realignment was how large District 2-5A Division I would become with Frenship and Frenship Memorial joining the mix. The UIL answered that by creating an eight-team district that is deep, balanced, and unforgiving from top to bottom.
District 2-5A DI schools:
Abilene High
Amarillo High
Caprock
Frenship
Frenship Memorial
Lubbock High
Lubbock Monterey
Tascosa
This is the kind of district where simply surviving league play prepares teams for the postseason. There are no weeks off, and earning one of the top four playoff spots will require consistency.
Statewide, the biggest 5A news came from outside the region, as Aledo officially jumped into Class 6A.
Class 5A Division II — District 2-5A DII
District 2-5A Division II remains largely intact, with one key change. Lubbock Coronado drops from Division I to Division II, replacing Plainview, which moves down to Class 4A Division I.
District 2-5A DII schools:
Abilene Cooper
Abilene Wylie
Coronado
Lubbock-Cooper
Palo Duro
Wichita Falls Legacy
Wichita Falls Memorial
For Palo Duro and the rest of the district, this keeps a familiar mix of opponents while still offering plenty of weekly challenges.
CLASS 4A: STABILITY IN THE PANHANDLE
Class 4A Division I — District 2-4A DI
One of the quieter but more meaningful outcomes of this realignment was the stability in District 2-4A. Canyon, Randall, and West Plains remain together, joined once again by their longtime Panhandle counterparts.
District 2-4A DI schools:
Canyon
Dumas
Hereford
Pampa
Randall
West Plains
Keeping this group together preserves rivalries, minimizes travel surprises, and maintains a district that feels distinctly Panhandle.
District 3-4A DI schools:
Andrews
Greenwood
Plainview
San Angelo Lake View
Class 4A Division II — District 3-4A DII
District 3-4A DII schools:
Borger
Estacado
Levelland
Lubbock-Cooper Liberty
Perryton
CLASS 3A: SMALL CHANGES, BIG IMPACT
Class 3A Division I — District 1-3A DI
This district feels like classic West Texas football, with strong programs and plenty of history.
District 1-3A DI schools:
Brownfield
Bushland
Dalhart
Denver City
Shallowater
Class 3A Division II
River Road moves down to Division II after more than a decade in Division I, landing in a rugged but familiar district.
District 1-3A DII schools:
Canadian
Childress
Dimmitt
Friona
River Road
District 2-3A DII schools:
Idalou
Littlefield
Muleshoe
Roosevelt
Slaton
Region-wide, Division II also saw powerhouse programs like Wall and Gunter move up to Division I, subtly shifting the competitive balance.
CLASS 2A: WHERE EVERY FRIDAY MATTERS
Class 2A Division I
Tulia drops into Division I, while Farwell moves up from Division II, forming a district that will be competitive from top to bottom.
District 1-2A DI schools:
Highland Park
Panhandle
Sanford-Fritch
Spearman
Sunray
District 2-2A DI schools:
Farwell
Floydada
Hale Center
Olton
Tulia
Class 2A Division II
West Texas moves into Division II and joins a familiar group of Panhandle programs.
District 1-2A DII schools:
Bovina
Gruver
Stratford
Vega
West Texas
District 3-2A DII schools:
Crosbyton
Lockney
Pathway Academy
Ralls
Roscoe
Tahoka
One of the tougher outcomes of realignment landed in the eastern Panhandle, where several schools remained in Region II despite hopes of a move.
District 5-2A DII schools:
Clarendon
Memphis
Quanah
Shamrock
Wellington
Wheeler
CLASS 1A: TRADITION, RIVALRIES, AND ROAD TRIPS
Class 1A Division I
District 1-1A DI schools:
Booker
Boys Ranch
Claude
White Deer
Wildorado
District 2-1A DI schools:
Nazareth
Springlake-Earth
Whiteface
Whitharral
District 3-1A DI schools:
Happy
Kress
Petersburg
Silverton
Class 1A Division II
District 1-1A DII schools:
Follett
Groom
Hedley
Lefors
McLean
Miami
District 2-1A DII schools:
Chillicothe
Crowell
Guthrie
Motley County
Paducah
Valley
District 3-1A DII schools:
Amherst
Anton
Cotton Center
Hart
Lazbuddie
Lorenzo
BASKETBALL DISTRICTS (SAME PRIDE, WARMER GYMS)
Class 5A — District 3-5A
Amarillo High
Caprock
Coronado
Frenship
Frenship Memorial
Lubbock High
Lubbock-Cooper
Monterey
Palo Duro
Tascosa
Class 4A
District 4-4A:
Borger
Canyon
Dumas
Hereford
Pampa
Perryton
Randall
West Plains
District 5-4A:
Big Spring
Estacado
Levelland
Lubbock-Cooper Liberty
Plainview
San Angelo Lake View
Snyder
Class 3A
District 1-3A:
Bushland
Canadian
Childress
Dalhart
Dimmitt
River Road
District 2-3A:
Friona
Idalou
Littlefield
Muleshoe
Roosevelt
Shallowater
Slaton
Talkington
Class 2A
District 1-2A:
Boys Ranch
Gruver
Sanford-Fritch
Spearman
Stratford
Sunray
Vega
West Texas
District 2-2A:
Clarendon
Highland Park
Memphis
Panhandle
Quanah
Wellington
Wheeler
District 3-2A:
Bovina
Farwell
Hale Center
Lockney
Olton
Sudan
Tulia
Class 1A
Districts include Booker, Darrouzett, Follett, Fort Elliott, Kelton, Miami, Claude, Groom, Hedley, Lefors, McLean, Shamrock, White Deer, Adrian, Channing, Hartley, Pringle-Morse, Texline, Wildorado, Happy, Hart, Kress, Lazbuddie, Nazareth, Silverton, Amherst, Anton, Cotton Center, Springlake-Earth, Meadow, Whiteface, Whitharral, Guthrie, Jayton, Motley County, Paducah, Spur, and Valley.
VOLLEYBALL DISTRICTS (QUIETLY ONE OF THE STRONGEST SPORTS)
Volleyball largely mirrors basketball alignment, keeping rivalries intact across Classes 5A through 1A, including all Panhandle and South Plains schools listed above, with competitive districts in every classification and minimal travel surprises.
FINAL WHISTLE
Realignment always changes the map, but it never changes what matters most around here. Packed stands. Long bus rides. Familiar rivals. New challenges.
The 2026–2028 UIL cycle didn’t flip the Panhandle upside down, but it reshaped just enough to keep things interesting. Over the next two years, these districts will produce new stories, new heroes, and plenty of Friday nights worth remembering.
