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FHSAA Merges Rural Class With Class 1A For Football
January 30, 2026
The Florida High School Athletic Association (FHSAA) Board of Directors voted in emergency session on Thursday to combine Rural Class and Class 1A into a single classification for two years, beginning with the upcoming season.
FHSAA policy requires at least 24 schools for there to be a rural classification. With only 16 schools meeting the criteria, the board voted to merge the classifications to ensure a consistent competitive structure.
FHSAA Executive Director Craig Damon called the emergency meeting after after many rural schools moved to the Sunshine State Athletic Association (SSAA).
“The rural schools that want to be part of the state series can now do so,” said FHSAA Executive Director Craig Damon.
The Board also voted to allow the creation of an independent league under FHSAA authority, giving independent schools the option to participate with the potential for postseason play.
The FHSAA will provide updated classification details to schools in the coming weeks.
In the Northwest Florida area, Northview, Jay, Baker, Blountstown, Central, Chipley were in the Rural Class for football. There are no Northwest Florida schools in 1A football.
According to the SSAA website, the only members school in Escambia or Santa Rosa counties is Lighthouse Private Christian Academy in Gulf Breeze.
Pictured: The Northview Chiefs lost to the Jay Royals 28-20 on October 10, 2025. Both teams were in the Rural Class. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Comments
2 Responses to “FHSAA Merges Rural Class With Class 1A For Football”
How does the schools in large counties that only have one school like Taylor county and Madison county come down to 1a with schools like NFC and John Paul Il and famu high for an example to dominate the smaller schools and it be deemed as a competitive and fair playing field? These are powerhouse programs these days.
The Rural Division of the FHSAA as it was put into Florida high school sports for schools has come to an end. I took the lead more than twenty years ago to level the playing field for small rural schools in athletics. Along with a couple of other AD’s and an athletic trainer and with the support of a few principals, including Thomas Rowland at Jay we convinced the FHSAA that the Rural Division was a viable alternative to the current classification they played in. I would say that the first five years or so the Rural Division worked as it was intended to work. It has been on a downhill slide for the last few years and it has lead to where it stand today. There are as many reasons the small schools face what they face today as there are schools that will choose to join the SSAA. I think one and there are many that rests with FHSAA and that is the exclusion of the “minor” sports from the Rural Division state championship play. As a side note back in the day years ago at the final meeting for the decision as to whether the Rural Division would be allowed or not the executive director told me if I insisted on minor sports be included the Rural Division would be dead on arrival. I dropped the minor sports proposal with the promise from some board members to bring it back up later. That didn’t happen. So now the small schools have another choice the SSAA. I don’t know very much about this organization but it seems that they are legit and could be what the small schools need for a fair and balanced athletic competition. The FHSAA has taken steps to adjust its classifications. The results to be determined. The upcoming football season will be interesting for those schools who choose to join SSAA. One bit of advice I have for those schools who do join SSAA. The SSAA invited you in after being vetted on their terms and they can just as easily demand you leave on their terms. My hope is that SSAA is an answer to small schools equity in sports problems.