Three Classes For Cross Country
On Tuesday, the TSSAA Board of Control approved a motion that the existing Class AA/A division for cross country would be split into separate classifications starting in the fall of 2025. That's the extent of what we know and that's all we know so far. All the following statements are "What I assume..." the downstream effects of this decision will be.
- I assume this means Class AA and Class A will align with the same cut lines as track and field
- I assume there will be less than 8 qualifying regions per class
- I assume there will be less than 32 qualifying teams per class for whatever regional designation is determined
- I assume this means one day of state will have three classes race on the same day
That assumed, I think this is a good move if only for the purpose of alleviating the crowded racing experience for runners in the combined Class AA/A. This race has routinely had upwards of 250 runners on the start line with a bottleneck less than 500 meters from it.
The other item that was uncovered yesterday as well is that we are back to four year classification cycles instead of two. So when enrollment numbers are submitted this fall and we undergo realignment heading into 2025, you can expect to be in that classification until 2030 unless you have 20% population change after two years.
While I don't have much information for you right now, I'll be sure to report it as it comes. In the meantime, if you'd like to use the track and field Class A and Class AA filters and theoretically apply them to last year's cross country results and track alignments, I've hyperlinked them below for your convenience.
Girls | Boys |
Class A Rankings | Class A Rankings |
Class A Virtual Meet | Class A Virtual Meet |
Class AA Rankings | Class AA Rankings |
Class AA Virtual Meet | Class AA Virtual Meet |