WPIAL football will hold tight with their six classifications in 2020-21. Monday afternoon, WPIAL officials released their newest alignment of classifications and conferences as alignment cycle gets reviewed every two years.
They’re sticking with six classifications, but there are a few teams that will be participating in a different class than they had during the previous season.
Pine-Richland is moving from Class-6A down to Class-5A. They fell to Central Catholic in the Class-6A WPIAL championship last season. South Fayette is moving up from Class-4A to Class-5A. Both of these schools are making the moves because of their enrollment numbers.
Aliquippa, on the other hand, will be playing in Class-4A this season and that isn’t because of their enrollment numbers but because of their level of play. The Quips are being forced up from Class-3A to Class-4A, even though they were already playing up in classification, thanks to a new process to move up teams based on a success and transfer formula. The Aliquippa School District is currently in the appeal process.
There were nine teams in Class-6A last year; now there are eight. Class-5A went from 23 teams down to 18. Class-4A went up, going from 16 teams to 22. In Class-3A, they went from 17 teams up to 20. Class-2A dropped from 31 to 27 teams and Class-1A slightly rose, going from 23 to 24 teams.
NEW WPIAL ALIGNMENT
Class-6A
Baldwin, Canon-McMillan, Pittsburgh Central Catholic, Hempfield, Mt. Lebanon, North Allegheny, Norwin, Seneca Valley
Class-5A
Section 1:Â Bethel Park, Moon, Peters Township, South Fayette, Upper St. Clair, West Allegheny
Section 2:Â Connellsville, Franklin Regional, Gateway, Latrobe, Penn-Trafford, Woodland Hills
Section 3:Â Fox Chapel, Kiski Area, North Hills, Penn Hills, Pine-Richland, Shaler
Class-4A
Section 1:Â Aliquippa, Beaver, Blackhawk, Chartiers Valley, Montour, New Castle
Section 2:Â Armstrong, Greensburg Salem, Hampton, Highlands, Indiana, Knoch, Mars, Plum
Section 3:Â Belle Vernon, Laurel Highlands, McKeesport, Ringgold, Thomas Jefferson, Trinity, Uniontown, West Mifflin
Class-3A
Section 1:Â Ambridge, Avonworth, Central Valley, Hopewell, Keystone Oaks, Quaker Valley
Section 2:Â Burrell, Deer Lakes, Derry, East Allegheny, Freeport, North Catholic, Valley
Section 3:Â Brownsville, Elizabeth Forward, Mt. Pleasant, South Allegheny, Southmoreland, South Park, Yough
Class-2A
Section 1:Â Apollo-Ridge, Ligonier Valley, Serra Catholic, Shady Side Academy, Steel Valley, Summit Academy
Section 2:Â Beaver Falls, Ellwood City, Freedom, Laurel, Mohawk, Neshannock, New Brighton, Riverside
Section 3:Â Beth-Center, Chartiers-Houston, Charleroi, Frazier, McGuffey, Washington, Waynesburg
Section 4:Â Brentwood, Carlynton, Seton LaSalle, South Side, Sto-Rox, Western Beaver
Class-1A
Section 1:Â Bishop Canevin, Clairton, Greensburg Central Catholic, Imani Christian, Jeannette, Leechburg, Riverview, Springdale
Section 2:Â Avella, Bentworth, California, Carmichaels, Jefferson-Morgan, Mapletown, Monessen, West Greene
Section 3:Â Burgettstown, Cornell, Fort Cherry, Northgate, OLSH, Rochester, Shenango, Union