Volleyball realignment sees most changes
Albany saw minimal changes to its football and basketball district, but an overhaul of its volleyball district for the 202425 and 2025-26 school years.
The University Interscholastic League announced its biennial realignment for the three sports on Thursday, Feb. 1.Alignmentsforallothersports willbereleasedlaterthisspring.
In October, Albany reported an enrollment of 170, placing it squarely in Class 2A for all UIL activities. The conference will have 226 schools for the new alignment period. Nine schools are moving down from Class3A,14aremovingupfrom Class 1A and one was elevated by request/policy.
Class 2A consists of schools having between 105 and 253 students. The break between football divisions was 181.4 and down in Division II and 181.5 and up in Division I.
Allconferencemembersplay basketballwith206playingfootball and 170 playing volleyball. Football divisions consist of 103 schools each.
Football
Two-time defending state champion Albany was placed in District 7-2ADivision II with only one change in membership from the District 6 lineup the Lionsfacedthelasttwoseasons. Winters, which moves down to Division II, replaces Abilene TLCA, which moves up to Division I. Holdovers Cross Plains, Hamlin, Miles, and Roscoe complete the district.
Lions head coach Denney Faith said there should be no drastic shifts in the district’s balance of power.
“I think the district will be pretty much the same as last year,” he said.
Cross Plains and Hamlin are eligible for six-man but elect to play 11-man. Both schools will compete in Class 1A in other sports.
The next part of the process is putting together a schedule. Faith said Albany will scrimmage Coleman and Early with nondistrict games against Stamford, Hawley, Seymour, Merkel, and Anson. The open date is expected to be Week 6 (Oct. 4) with the district schedule after that.
“We’ve already drawn a schedule, but we can’t make it official until the appeals process is finished,” Faith said.
The biggest change as far as Albany is concerned is its position in the playoff bracket. District 6, which the Lions played in the last two seasons, basically switches places with what was District 7 – Archer City, Electra, Haskell, Petrolia, Seymour, Windthorst, Munday.
TheLionsnowmatchupwith District 8 – Chico, Collinsville, Era,Lindsay,Muenster,Santo– inthefirstround.Albanyplayed Collinsville in the state quarterfinals the last two seasons.
Also, District 5, which had consisted of Permian Basin schools, now covers the eastern edge of the Panhandle – Clarendon, Memphis, Quanah, Wellington, Wheeler, Shamrock. Teams that Albany would not have seen before the state semifinals are now potential second-round opponents.Along the same lines, a game against Eldorado,whichtheLionsfaced in bi-district the last two years, would not be possible until the semifinals.
“The UIL does that periodically,” Faith said of the moves. “That district out west moved into Region I. They go back and forth on that.”
Schoolsmaybeginpreseason practice Monday, Aug. 5. The first day teams can scrimmage is Thursday, Aug. 14. Regularseason games begin Thursday, Aug. 29.
Teams have until Saturday, Nov. 9, to finish their schedule with the first day for playoff games Thursday, Nov. 14. State finals will begin Wednesday, Dec. 18.
Volleyball
TheLadyLionssawthemost drastic change from last week’s announcement, landing in District 6-2A with Abilene TLCA, Colorado City, Hawley, Roscoe. Hawleyistheonlyholdoverfrom the last realignment.
“I feel like the competition is goingtobeaboutthesame;we’re just going a different direction,” Lady Lions coach M.J. Reneau said. “I expected to be in the same district as Hawley.”
Volleyball practices may begin Monday, Aug. 5, with teams allowed to scrimmage starting Friday.Aug. 9. The first day to play matches is Monday, Aug. 12.
The regular season must be completed by Saturday, Nov. 2, with playoffs starting Monday, Nov. 4. The state tournament begins Wednesday, Nov. 20.
Basketball
Like in football, Albany saw just one change to the makeup of its basketball district. The Lions and Lady Lions will compete in District 10-2A with Abilene TLCA, Anson, Cisco, Haskell,Hawley,andStamford. TLCA replaces Hamlin, which will play in Class 1A.
“For basketball, it’s hard for them to ever change us because we’re 30 minutes away from everybody,” Albany boys basketball coach and athletic director Ryder Peacock said. “I don’t think it will ever change unless somebody goes up or down.”
After-school practice for girls basketball may begin Wednesday, Oct. 16, with scrimmages permitted starting Saturday, Oct. 26. Regular-season games may be played starting Friday, Nov. 1. The final day for regularseason games is Saturday, Feb. 8, 2025, with the playoffs starting Monday, Feb. 10. The girls state tournament starts Thursday, Feb. 27.
Keydatesforboysbasketball are one week later than girls.
