Alabama High School Sports Face Major Public Private Split

The Alabama high school sports landscape is set for a seismic shift after the Alabama High School Athletic Association (AHSAA) voted on Friday, January 23, 2026, to separate public and private schools for postseason competition beginning in the fall of 2026. The decision, approved by a 13-2 vote from the AHSAA Central Board, follows months of heated debate, legal wrangling, and state-wide speculation about the future of high school athletics in Alabama.

The move comes after the AHSAA Central Board’s meeting on Thursday, January 22, where classification data for the 2026-28 school years was finalized. The much-anticipated public announcement took place Friday morning in Montgomery, with AHSAA Executive Director Heath Harmon revealing the new alignments during a press conference and a special reveal show broadcast over the AHSAA TV Network. The complete reclassification and alignments for fall sports such as football and volleyball were subsequently published on the AHSAA website, while alignments for winter and spring sports are expected to follow at a later date.

This biennial reclassification, which typically takes place every two years, was originally slated for December 2025 but was delayed due to ongoing mediation. The mediation stemmed from the 2024 CHOOSE Act, a piece of legislation that created controversy over the eligibility of students accepting $7,000 grants to transfer to private schools. The issue became so contentious that Alabama Governor Kay Ivey filed a lawsuit against the AHSAA on September 4, 2025, challenging the association’s interpretation of the CHOOSE Act. A temporary restraining order was issued on September 5, preventing the AHSAA from enforcing any rule that made acceptance of CHOOSE Act funds the sole reason for a student’s ineligibility to play sports.

Amid these legal and political battles, the AHSAA convened two major reclassification committee meetings in 2025. The first, in June, addressed the possibility of eliminating the enrollment multiplier for private schools, applying competitive balance rules to both public and private institutions, and splitting coed sports for competitive balance purposes. The September session focused largely on the ongoing lawsuit and its implications. On December 15, three private school representatives were given a brief window to present their perspectives and solutions to the AHSAA Central Board of Control. Days later, sources confirmed that the association was seriously considering a split between public and private schools in its reclassification plans.

The final decision, announced Friday, marks a dramatic departure from the previous system. For decades, the AHSAA had attempted to level the playing field between public and private schools using measures like attendance multipliers and competitive balance adjustments, designed to offset perceived enrollment advantages enjoyed by private schools. However, these measures have now been scrapped. Moving forward, private schools will be classified strictly by their enrollment numbers, just like public schools.

Under the new structure, football will feature six public school classes and two private school classes, resulting in a total of eight separate championships. Other sports will have similar, sport-specific arrangements. Notably, while public and private schools will be split for postseason play, they will still be allowed to face each other during the regular season. This hybrid model places Alabama alongside four other states that have adopted a similar approach to managing public and private school athletics.

The build-up to Friday’s announcement was marked by intense debate among coaches, administrators, and lawmakers. According to an AL.com survey of coaches conducted ahead of the reclassification reveal, 43 percent of respondents hoped there would be no division between public and private schools, citing concerns about diluted competition. Bayside Academy head of school Scott Phillipps, speaking to AL.com, remarked, “There is no doubt that separating public and private schools will dilute the competition for both. I think it’s probably inevitable they separate us, because I think that is the way the political winds are blowing.”

On the other hand, 31 percent of surveyed coaches supported the idea of separating public and private schools for championship play, while 19 percent preferred further adjustments to the multiplier or competitive balance rules. Only seven percent advocated for a complete separation of the two groups. Despite these mixed opinions, the AHSAA’s decision was ultimately shaped by the mounting legal and political pressure, as well as the practical challenges posed by the CHOOSE Act and the governor’s lawsuit.

The new alignments have already begun to ripple through Alabama’s high school sports community. In volleyball and flag football, for instance, new lineups and divisions reflecting the public-private split have been released. The AHSAA has added a new Class 5A and a private school class for flag football, and volleyball now features separate divisions for public and private schools across multiple classifications. These changes are expected to provide a preview of how the postseason landscape will look in other sports starting in the fall of 2026.

For many, the decision represents both an end and a beginning. The end of a long era of unified postseason competition, and the beginning of a new chapter in which Alabama’s student-athletes will compete for championships on more level, albeit separate, playing fields. The move is not without its critics, who argue that the separation could reduce the quality of competition and limit opportunities for athletes to test themselves against the best. Yet, with the AHSAA’s 13-2 vote, the path forward is now clear.

Looking ahead, the focus will shift to how schools, coaches, and athletes adapt to the new reality. The AHSAA’s decision may prompt further debate and possible legislative action, especially as the full impact of the public-private split becomes apparent in the coming years. For now, Alabama joins a select group of states pioneering this new model, and the eyes of the high school sports world will be watching closely to see how it unfolds.

With the dust settling after Friday’s dramatic announcement, Alabama high school sports enters a new era—one defined by separate but parallel journeys for its public and private schools, and a postseason landscape forever changed.