HELENA — Football realignment highlighted the actions taken by the Montana High School Association's executive board during a regularly scheduled meeting on Nov. 25.
The actions were announced in a press release issued Wednesday.
The board approved the reclassification of four schools for the 2025 football season: Broadus and Hays-Lodgepole will move from 8-Man to 6-Man, Harlowton-Ryegate will move from 6-Man to 8-Man, and Deer Lodge will jump from 8-Man to Class B.
Additionally, the board announced the movement of five schools to a higher football classification, but the schools have the option to remain in the lower classification but not be postseason eligible: Arlee and Shelby to Class B, and Box Elder, Centerville and Westby-Grenora to the 8-Man classification.
Also, it was announced that Whitehall will be moved from the Western to the Southern conference of Class B for 2025.
The board also approved a proposal for a four-division alignment for Class A football for 2025. That alignment is as follows:
East: Billings Central, Miles City, Glendive, Hardin, Lockwood, Sidney.
Central: Browning, East Helena, Havre, Lewistown, Laurel, Livingston.
Southwest: Dillon, Butte Central, Corvallis, Frenchtown, Hamilton, Stevensville.
Northwest: Bigfork, Columbia Falls, Libby, Polson, Ronan, Whitefish.
The board also approved a proposal for realignment for Class C in basketball, track and field and volleyball for 2025-26 (district realignment will be finalized at the MHSA's 2025 annual meeting). To see the full Class C divisional realignment, click here.
Elsewhere, the executive board approved baseball conferences for the 2025 season. They are as follows:
East: Billings Central, Billings Senior, Billings Skyview, Billings West, Columbus, Huntley Project, Laurel, Sidney.
Central: Dillon, Belgrade, Townsend, Butte, Butte Central, East Helena, Lone Peak, Livingston.
South: Corvallis, Florence, Frenchtown, Hamilton, Missoula Big Sky, Missoula Hellgate, Missoula Sentinel, St. Ignatius-Arlee, Stevensville.
North: Bigfork, Browning, Columbia Falls, Eureka, Thompson Falls-Noxon, Plains-Hot Springs, Polson, Ronan, Troy, Whitefish.
To see the full press release from the MHSA's November meeting, click here. The MHSA's annual meeting will be held Jan. 20, 2025, at the Billings Hotel and Convention Center.
