THOMASTON — The Georgia High School Association placed its 454 member schools into seven classifications in preparation for the 2026-27 school year.
Fifty-six schools are slated to go up in class, while 46 will go down.
Pierce County, along other current Region 3-AA members Crisp County, Tattnall County, Appling County and Cook are being re-classified to AAA.
GHSA removed Class A Division II making it simply Class A adding Class 7A back into the mix.
The seven classes are the same as in the current cycle, but they have new names. Class A’s divisions I and II will become Class 2A and Class A. The highest classification, currently called 6A, will become Class 7A.
The GHSA will continue to separate private schools in classes 3A, 2A and A (4A, 3A and 2A in 2026) into their own playoff division known as 4A-2A Private, though they will compete with public schools in the regular season.
Schools had until Sunday (November 9) at noon to appeal the reclassification. Appeals hearings were scheduled for Monday November 10. When those appeals are done, the GHSA will place schools into regions. The GHSA has eight regions in each classification.
Brantley County and Worth County, both Region 1-A DI programs, are two of the 56 schools moving up in classification. Each is currently playing in Class A Division I for the second year. They bypassed Class AA for the 202627 and 2027-28 cycle.
There are currently 64 schools in Class AAA (AA the last two years) which, in an ideal world, would lead to eight-team regions.
The classification, though, will be short. Barrow Arts and Science Academy in Winder is currently a non-playing football school. Marist, a private school in Atlanta, always plays in Class 5A and above.
A possible region alignment for Pierce County could include Brantley County, Crisp County, Tattnall County, Appling County, Toombs County (defending Class A DI champion), Cook and Worth County.
Tattnall County is the lone school in the scenario who did not make the 2025 playoffs.
