The North Carolina High School Athletic Association (NCHSAA) is ushering in a new era of high school sports in 2025-26, with eight full classifications and a total of 64 newly named conferences.
From the Swine Valley 2A/3A to the Tobacco Road 6A/7A, those in charge of naming the leagues often brought their A-game (and maybe a little Carolina barbecue sauce) to this realignment cycle.
Some conference names are geographic. Some are nostalgic. Others are more utilitarian. A handful certainly match what you might expect from a homegrown North Carolina prep league.
⬇️ Jump to the Full Conference List ⬇️
📌 Fast Facts: NCHSAA Realignment 2025-29
- This is the first time the NCHSAA has ever had eight full classifications (1A through 8A). Since the 1970s, the high school association has used a four-classification system (though from 2002-2020 eight state champions were crowned in football only by subdividing each class for the post-season).
- Only 10 of the new conferences are made up of schools from a single classification.
- That means 54 conferences are split — and 11 of those include three different classifications.
- Every 5A school is located in a split conference.
🐷 Top Name Honors: Swine Valley 2A/3A
If there were a championship for best conference name, this pork-powered powerhouse would get our vote. With schools like Rosewood, Goldsboro and Wallace-Rose Hill in its footprint, this name proudly nods to Eastern North Carolina’s rich hog heritage. It’s clever and on-brand. Respect.
💪 Biggest Flex? Meck Power Six
A name that oozes swagger. With Butler, Independence, Mallard Creek, Chambers, West Charlotte and North Mecklenburg in the fold, this Charlotte-based 7A/8A conference might as well come with its own highlight reel. Power Six? More like the SEC of the Queen City in brand power.
🏆 Conferences With Championship Pedigree
If you’re looking for a league where football is practically genetic, look no further than the newest version of the Smoky Mountain 1A/2A — a high country stronghold that’s home to 38 state championships, more than any other conference in the state. (Check out HighSchoolOT.com’s great story on which new leagues have the most combined state titles HERE).
- 🏔️ Robbinsville leads the way in the Smoky Mountain with 14 titles, followed by Murphy (10), Swain County (8), Andrews (5) and Cherokee (1). Just try running the ball in December up in Graham, Cherokee or Swain counties — it’s not for the faint of heart.
Other conferences bringing serious rings to the table:
- 🐏 Mid-State 3A/4A/5A (23 titles) – powered by Reidsville’s legendary 20 trophies.
- 👑 Meck Power Six 7A/8A (17 titles) – five of six schools have won at least two chamionships, headed by Independence (7) and Butler (3). The reigning 3A champion West Charlotte Lions also reside here.
- 🟨 Southern Piedmont 2A/3A/4A (15 titles) – dominated by Shelby’s 12 championship banners.
🏀 Most Crossover Appeal: Tobacco Road 6A/7A
Sure, we’re focused on football on this site, but this conference name provides a cheeky homage to North Carolina’s basketball prowess. With a solid collection of Durham and Chapel Hill high schools in the mix, the “Tobacco Road” brand lives on — and maybe stirs a little March Madness in October.
🧭 Directional Overload: The Piedmont Explosion
We counted seven conferences with “Piedmont” in the name. You’ve got:
- Central Piedmont
- North Piedmont
- South Piedmont
- Western Piedmont
- Northwest Piedmont
- Southern Piedmont
- Piedmont Triad
Basically, if you’re lost in the middle of the state, just yell “Piedmont!” and someone from one of these leagues’ schools will probably help you out.
🧭 Honorable Mention: Carolina Overload
Apparently “Carolina” is still a thing, too:
- Central Carolina 3A
- Carolina Coast 6A/7A/8A
- Big Carolina 6A/7A
- Carolina Pines 6A
- Mid-Carolina 4A/5A/6A
- Eastern Carolina 1A
- Southern Carolina 6A/7A
- Just plain old Carolina 1A/2A
North Carolina branding? ✅ Locked in.
🧭 Fun with Numbers and Bodies of Water
- A Three Rivers and Four Rivers conference both exist, but not near each other. Riverside High School, though, isn’t in either league. (These two conferences aren’t to be confused with the Two Rivers Classic, a college rivalry between UNC Pembroke and Fayetteville State).
- There’s a Big Seven 4A/5A, a Quad County 2A/3A/4A, a Triangle Six 6A/7A and a Quad City Seven 8A — might be time to issue a calculator with each schedule.
🪵 Most Soothing Name: Carolina Pines 6A
You can smell the longleaf in the air just reading it. A poetic name for a cluster of schools in the Southern Pines region. Somewhere, a tourism director is smiling.
👑 Where the Defending Champs and Runners-Up Landed
New conferences. New classifications. Same bragging rights and targets on their backs. Here’s where last season’s state champions and runners-up landed in the realigned NCHSAA conference landscape — plus the classification each team will compete in for 2025-26:
🥇 Defending State Champions
🏆 1A: Tarboro (now 2A)
The Vikings, small-school football royalty, land as the only 2A school in the Eastern Plains 2A/3A Conference alongside Ayden-Grifton, Beddingfield, Farmville Central, Greene Central and Kinston. Bigger schools may surround them, but Tarboro doesn’t scare easy.
🏆 2A: Monroe (now 5A)
The Redhawks (15-0 a year ago) remain in a new iteration of the Rocky River Conference, keeping partners like Forest Hills, Anson and West Stanly. A title defense and a major classification number upgrade? Let’s ride.
🏆 3A: West Charlotte (now 8A)
From 3A champs to 8A giants, the Lions are now part of the Meck Power Six 7A/8A, one of the most loaded leagues in the state. The Lions will be familiar with teams like Mallard Creek, Chambers and North Meck, having played with them in the Queen City 3A/4A in recent seasons.
🏆 4A: Grimsley (now 7A)
The Whirlies didn’t make the attendance cut to join the Big 32 (8A) classification and will join the Metro 6A/7A Conference with familiar Greensboro foes like Dudley and Page. Don’t expect a drop-off — Grimsley’s built for this.
🥈 2024 State Runners-Up
🥈 1A: Corvian Community (now 2A)
A feel-good story last fall, Corvian brings that underdog fire into the Catawba Shores 2A/3A/4A Conference. Will they run it back in the charter-school based league?
🥈 2A: Northeastern (now 3A)
Thee Eagles came so close to the perfect 16-0 season in 2024 — and now join a sneaky-fun conference with their school name embedded in the title: Northeastern Coastal 3A/4A/5A.
🥈 3A: Seventy-First (now 6A)
The Falcons are now flying as part of a new-look Eastern Sandhills 5A/6A Conference, with rivals like South View, Douglas Byrd and E.E. Smith.
🥈 4A: Rolesville (now 8A)
One of the newer prep football powerhouses on the block, Rolesville takes its runner-up pedigree into the Cap 8A Conference, moving into a more Raleigh-centric neighborhood with the likes of Millbrook, Leesville Road, Broughton, Enloe, Wakefield and Athens Drive.
📋The Full List of NCHSAA Conferences
📌 1A Conferences
Atlantic 1A Conference
Bear Grass Charter (1A)
Cape Hatteras (1A)
Columbia (1A)
Hobgood Charter (1A)
Mattamuskeet (1A)
Ocracoke (1A)
Eastern Carolina 1A Conference
North East Carolina Prep (1A)
North Edgecombe (1A)
Rocky Mount Prep (1A)
Sallie B. Howard (1A)
Washington County (1A)
Wilson Prep (1A)
Central Tar Heel 1A Conference
Ascend Leadership (1A)
Central Carolina Academy (1A)
Chatham Charter (1A)
Clover Garden (1A)
River Mill Academy (1A)
Southern Wake Academy (1A)
Woods Charter (1A)
📌 1A Independent
Eastern NC School for the Deaf
North Carolina School for the Deaf
📌 1A/2A Conferences
Carolina 1A/2A Conference
East Columbus (1A)
East Bladen (2A)
Hobbton (2A)
Lakewood (2A)
North Duplin (2A)
Union (2A)
West Columbus (2A)
Coastal Plains 1A/2A Conference
Jones (1A)
Northside – Pinetown (1A)
East Carteret (2A)
Lejeune (2A)
Pamlico County (2A)
Southside (2A)
Greater Triad 1A/2A Conference
Chatham Central (1A)
College Prep & Leadership (1A)
North Stokes (1A)
South Davidson (1A)
Winston-Salem Prep (1A)
Bishop McGuinness (2A)
South Stokes (2A)
Northwest Piedmont 1A/2A Conference
Bethany Community (1A)
Millenium Charter (1A)
NC Leadership Academy (1A)
Phoenix Academy (1A)
Triad Math and Science (1A)
Cornerstone Charter (2A)
Piedmont Classical (2A)
Roanoke River 1A/2A Conference
KIPP Pride (1A)
Southeast Halifax (1A)
Weldon (1A)
Northampton County (2A)
Northwest Halifax (2A)
Warren County (2A)
Smoky Mountain 1A/2A Conference
Andrews (1A)
Blue Ridge Early College (1A)
Highlands (1A)
Hiwassee Dam (1A)
Nantahala (1A)
Robbinsville (1A)
Rosman (1A)
Summit Charter (1A)
Tri-County Early College (1A)
Cherokee (2A)
Hayesville (2A)
Murphy (2A)
Swain County (2A)
Triangle North 1A/2A Conference
Discovery Charter (1A)
Excelsior Classical (1A)
Falls Lake Academy (1A)
Oxford Prep (1A)
Vance Charter (1A)
Eno River Academy (2A)
Henderson Collegiate (2A)
📌 1A/2A/3A Conferences
Catawba River 1A/2A/3A Conference
Bonnie Cone (1A)
Carolina International (1A)
Jackson Day (1A)
NCSSM – Morganton (1A)
Thomas Jefferson (1A)
Mountain Island Charter (2A)
Queens Grant (2A)
Sugar Creek (2A)
Piedmont Community (3A)
(Football Only)
Bonnie Cone (1A)
Thomas Jefferson (1A)
Albemarle (2A)
Mountain Island Charter (2A)
North Rowan (2A)
South Stanly (2A)
North Stanly (3A)
Union Academy (3A)
Diamond Nine 1A/2A/3A Conference
Neuse Charter (1A)
East Wake Academy (2A)
Franklin Academy (2A)
Raleigh Charter (2A)
Research Triangle (2A)
Roxboro Community (2A)
Triangle Math and Science (2A)
Voyager Academy (2A)
NCCSM – Durham (3A)
📌 2A Conference
Albemarle Athletic 2A Conference
Bertie (2A)
Camden County (2A)
Gates County (2A)
John A. Holmes (2A)
Manteo (2A)
Perquimans County (2A)
📌 2A/3A Conferences
Eastern Plains 2A/3A Conference
Tarboro (2A)
Ayden-Grifton (3A)
Beddingfield (3A)
Farmville Central (3A)
Greene Central (3A)
Kinston (3A)
Swine Valley 2A/3A Conference
Rosewood (2A)
Goldsboro (3A)
James Kenan (3A)
Midway (3A)
Princeton (3A)
Spring Creek (3A)
Wallace-Rose Hill (3A)
Yadkin Valley 2A/3A Conference
Albemarle (2A)
Gray Stone Day (2A)
North Rowan (2A)
South Stanly (2A)
North Stanly (3A)
Union Academy (3A)
Western Highlands 2A/3A Conference
Avery (2A)
Mitchell (2A)
Hendersonville (3A)
Madison (3A)
Mountain Heritage (3A)
Owen (3A)
Polk County (3A)
📌 2A/3A/4A Conferences
Quad County 2A/3A/4A Conference
American Leadership Academy – Johnston (2A)
Louisburg (3A)
Wake Prep (3A)
Bunn (4A)
Nash Central (4A)
Roanoke Rapids (4A)
Catawba Shores 2A/3A/4A Conference
Bradford Prep (2A)
Christ The King (2A)
Community School of Davidson (2A)
Corvian Community (2A)
Langtree Charter (2A)
Pine Lake Prep (3A)
Lake Norman Charter (4A)
Lincoln Charter (4A)
Southern Piedmont 2A/3A/4A Conference
Cherryville (2A)
Highland Tech (2A)
Bessemer City (3A)
Lincolnton (3A)
Shelby (3A)
West Lincoln (3A)
Burns (4A)
East Gaston (4A)
Stuart Cramer (4A)
Mountain Valley 2A/3A/4A
Alleghany (2A)
East Wilkes (2A)
Elkin (2A)
Starmount (2A)
North Wilkes (3A)
West Wilkes (3A)
Ashe County (4A)
Wilkes Central (4A)
📌 3A Conference
Central Carolina 3A Conference
East Davidson (3A)
Providence Grove (3A)
Thomasville (3A)
Trinity (3A)
West Davidson (3A)
Wheatmore (3A)
📌 3A/4A Conferences
East Central 3A/4A Conference
Heide Trask (3A)
Pender (3A)
South Lenoir (3A)
Clinton (4A)
East Duplin (4A)
Southwest Onslow (4A)
Four Rivers 3A/4A Conference
Eastern Randolph (3A)
North Moore (3A)
Northwood (3A)
Jordan-Matthews (4A)
Southwestern Randolph (4A)
Uwharrie Charter (4A)
Northwest 3A/4A Conference
East Surry (3A)
Mount Airy (3A)
Surry Central (3A)
Forbush (4A)
North Surry (4A)
West Stokes (4A)
Western Piedmont 3A/4A Conference
CHASE (3A)
Draughn (3A)
East Rutherford (3A)
Patton (3A)
West Caldwell (3A)
East Burke (4A)
Hibriten (4A)
R-S Central (4A)
📌 3A/4A/5A Conferences
Northeastern Coastal 3A/4A/5A Conference
Hertford County (3A)
Martin County (3A)
Northeastern (3A)
Pasquotank County (3A)
First Flight (4A)
Currituck County (5A)
Southeastern 3A/4A/5A
South Columbus (3A)
West Bladen (3A)
Whiteville (3A)
Fairmont (4A)
Red Springs (4A)
South Brunswick (5A)
Mid-State 3A/4A/5A
Bartlett Yancey (3A)
McMichael (3A)
Walkertown (3A)
Carver (4A)
Morehead (4A)
Reidsville (4A)
Rockingham County (5A)
📌 4A Conference
Three Rivers 4A Conference
Eastern Wayne (4A)
North Johnston (4A)
North Lenoir (4A)
North Pitt (4A)
SouthWest Edgecombe (4A)
Washington (4A)
West Craven (4A)
📌 4A/5A Conferences
Big Seven 4A/5A Conference
Carrboro (4A)
Cedar Ridge (5A)
Durham School of the Arts (5A)
Orange (5A)
Seaforth (5A)
South Granville (5A)
Webb (5A)
PAC Seven 4A/5A
Central Davidson (4A)
Ledford (4A)
Lexington (4A)
Randleman (4A)
T.W. Andrews (4A)
High Point Central (5A)
Montgomery Central (5A)
Rocky River 4A/5A Conference
Anson (4A)
Central Academy (4A)
Mount Pleasant (4A)
West Stanly (4A)
Forest Hills (5A)
Monroe (5A)
Parkwood (5A)
South Piedmont 4A/5A Conference
Salisbury (4A)
South Rowan (4A)
Concord (5A)
East Rowan (5A)
Jay M. Robinson (5A)
Jesse Carson (5A)
Northwest Cabarrus (5A)
West Rowan (5A)
Western Foothills 4A/5A Conference
Bandys (4A)
Bunker Hill (4A)
Fred T. Foard (4A)
Maiden (4A)
Newton-Conover (4A)
West Iredell (4A)
East Lincoln (5A)
Hickory (5A)
North Lincoln (5A)
Mountain Eight 4A/5A Conference
Brevard (4A)
East Henderson (4A)
Pisgah (4A)
Tuscola (4A)
Franklin (5A)
North Henderson (5A)
Smoky Mountain (5A)
West Henderson (5A)
📌 4A/5A/6A Conference
Mid-Carolina 4A/5A/6A Conference
Cummings (4A)
Graham (4A)
Eastern Alamance (5A)
Person (5A)
Southeast Alamance (5A)
Western Alamance (5A)
Southern Alamance (6A)
Williams (6A)
📌 5A/6A Conferences
Coastal 5A/6A Conference
Croatan (5A)
Dixon (5A)
Havelock (5A)
Northside (Jacksonville) (5A)
Richlands (5A)
West Carteret (5A)
Swansboro (6A)
Big East 5A/6A Conference
C.B. Aycock (5A)
Fike (5A)
Hunt (5A)
Rocky Mount (5A)
Southern Nash (5A)
Southern Wayne (5A)
Northern Nash (6A)
Eastern Sandhills 5A/6A Conference
Douglas Byrd (5A)
St. Pauls (5A)
E.E. Smith (6A)
Seventy-First (6A)
South View (6A)
Westover (6A)
TAAC Six 5A/6A Conference
Northeast Guilford (5A)
Southern Guilford (5A)
Asheboro (6A)
Eastern Guilford (6A)
Northern Guilford (6A)
Southeast Guilford (6A)
Piedmont Triad 5A/6A Conference
Atkins (5A)
North Davidson (5A)
North Forsyth (5A)
Oak Grove (5A)
Glenn (6A)
Mount Tabor (6A)
Big South 5A/6A Conference
Crest (5A)
Forestview (5A)
Hunter Huss (5A)
North Gaston (5A)
South Point (5A)
Ashbrook (6A)
Kings Mountain (6A)
Mountain 5A/6A Conference
Enka (5A)
Erwin (5A)
North Buncombe (5A)
A.C. Reynolds (6A)
Asheville (6A)
T.C. Roberson (6A)
📌 6A Conference
Carolina Pines 6A Conference
Harnett Central (6A)
Lee County (6A)
South Johnston (6A)
Southern Lee (6A)
Triton (6A)
Union Pines (6A)
West Johnston (6A)
Western Harnett (6A)
📌 6A/7A Conferences
Big Carolina 6A/7A Conference
J.H. Rose (6A)
Jacksonville (6A)
White Oak (6A)
D.H. Conley (7A)
New Bern (7A)
South Central (7A)
Tri-County 6A/7A Conference
Gray’s Creek (6A)
Scotland County (6A)
Terry Sanford (6A)
Cape Fear (7A)
Lumberton (7A)
Purnell Swett (7A)
Northern Six 6A/7A Conference
Franklinton (6A)
Vance County (6A)
East Wake (7A)
Heritage (7A)
Knightdale (7A)
Wake Forest (7A)
Triangle Six 6A/7A Conference
Felton Grove (6A)
Middle Creek (6A)
Cardinal Gibbons (7A)
Cary (7A)
Holly Springs (7A)
Sanderson (7A)
Tobacco Road 6A/7A Conference
East Chapel Hill (6A)
Northern Durham (6A)
Chapel Hill (7A)
Hillside (7A)
Riverside (7A)
Southern Durham (7A)
Metro 6A/7A Conference
Ben L. Smith (6A)
Dudley (6A)
Ragsdale (6A)
Western Guilford (6A)
Grimsley (7A)
Page (7A)
Southwest Guilford (7A)
Southern Carolina 6A/7A Conference
Charlotte Catholic (6A)
Piedmont (6A)
Sun Valley (6A)
Cuthbertson (7A)
Marvin Ridge (7A)
Porter Ridge (7A)
Weddington (7A)
Greater Metro Athletic 6A/7A Conference (GMAC)
Berry Academy (6A)
Central Cabarrus (6A)
Harding University (6A)
Olympic (6A)
A.L. Brown (7A)
Cox Mill (7A)
Hickory Ridge (7A)
West Cabarrus (7A)
North Piedmont 6A/7A Conference
North Iredell (6A)
Statesville (6A)
Davie County (7A)
Lake Norman (7A)
Mooresville (7A)
South Iredell (7A)
Northwestern 6A/7A Conference
Alexander Central (6A)
Freedom (6A)
South Caldwell (6A)
St. Stephens (6A)
Watauga (6A)
McDowell (7A)
📌 6A/7A/8A Conference
Carolina Coast 6A/7A/8A Conference (CCC)
West Brunswick (6A)
Ashley (7A)
New Hanover (7A)
North Brunswick (7A)
Topsail (7A)
Hoggard (8A)
Laney (8A)
📌 7A Conference
Greater Neuse River 7A Conference
Clayton (7A)
Cleveland (7A)
Fuquay-Varina (7A)
Garner (7A)
Smithfield-Selma (7A)
South Garner (7A)
Southeast Raleigh (7A)
📌 7A/8A Conferences
Mid-South 7A/8A Conference
Jack Britt (7A)
Overhills (7A)
Pine Forest (7A)
Richmond (7A)
Hoke County (8A)
Pinecrest (8A)
Central Piedmont 7A/8A Conference
East Forsyth (7A)
Parkland (7A)
R.J. Reynolds (7A)
Reagan (7A)
Northwest Guilford (8A)
West Forsyth (8A)
Meck Power Six 7A/8A Conference
Butler (7A)
Independence (7A)
North Mecklenburg (7A)
Chambers (8A)
Mallard Creek (8A)
West Charlotte (8A)
Greater Charlotte 7A/8A Conference
Hopewell (7A)
West Mecklenburg (7A)
Garinger (8A)
Hough (8A)
Myers Park (8A)
South Mecklenburg (8A)
Southwestern 7A/8A Conference
Ballantyne Ridge (7A)
Rocky River (7A)
Ardrey Kell (8A)
East Mecklenburg (8A)
Palisades (8A)
Providence (8A)
📌 8A Conferences
Cap 8A Conference
Athens Drive (8A)
Broughton (8A)
Corinth Holders (8A)
Enloe (8A)
Leesville Road (8A)
Millbrook (8A)
Rolesville (8A)
Wakefield (8A)
Quad City Seven 8A Conference
Apex (8A)
Apex Friendship (8A)
Green Hope (8A)
Green Level (8A)
Jordan (8A)
Panther Creek (8A)
Willow Spring (8A)
With 64 total conferences and the debut of an eight-class system following NCHSAA football realignment, the 2025-26 season will bring fresh rivalries, new playoff paths, plenty of talking points – and eight state gridiron champions when the dust settles in mid-December. Read more about the NCHSAA realignment process HERE.
Follow 2025 North Carolina high school football all season long at NCFootballNews. Check out our new Scoreboard Hub, soon to be the home for weekly schedules and results.
