TSSAA enrollment numbers released with initial classification placement

By JASON PEEVYHOUSE

Sports Editor

As fall sports begin to wrap up and basketball is set on deck to start next month, the TSSAA has released the enrollment numbers which will determine the classifications for high school sports for the next two school years.

The only shift currently caused by the new enrollment numbers locally is in golf and tennis. Over the past cycle, Dyersburg played in Class A while Dyer County was placed in Class AA. Should the new numbers remain in effect past the deadline for appeals and changes, both Dyersburg and Dyer County will be in Class A.

This would put all the sports from both schools in the same classification for the first time in many years.

When looking at fall sports, in football, both teams remain in their respective classes but are also among the top teams in those classifications when it comes to the enrollment numbers.

Dyer County's Region 7-4A could lose Obion County Central when the new regions come out later this fall as the Rebels are slated to drop down to Class 3A. The rest of the five-team region stayed in Class 4A in the new numbers.

Meanwhile, Dyersburg's Region 7-3A sees Scotts Hill move down to Class 2A while the rest of the field stays in Class 3A.

It should be noted that there are plenty of 3A and 4A schools in West Tennessee regions could still look different after the finalized classifications come out.

Volleyball almost saw a major shift in West Tennessee in Class AA as, in the new numbers, Dyer County is the largest school in their classification. Dyersburg also remained in Class AA with about 50 schools smaller than the Lady Trojans in the classification.

Both Dyer County and Dyersburg remained in Class AA in both girls and boys soccer. Cross country also sees the two schools remain in Class AA.

Dyersburg and Dyer County will likely also remain in Class 3A in basketball, baseball and softball as both schools are well withing the cutoff mark in either direction.

The rest of the spring sports remain in their current classification other than the previously-mentioned tennis sports.

Schools will have until Friday, October 18, to notify the state office of their wish to move up in any of the above classification plans and/or report a change of 20 percent or more in enrollment that would necessitate a change in classification.

Once the deadline passes, the state office staff, with input from Board members, will set districts and regions and post them to the TSSAA website when complete. Schools that disagree with their placement will have the opportunity to request an appeal before the Board of Control at the November scheduled meeting.

Scheduling meetings for 2025-27 must take place after the November meeting of the Board of Control.