Reclassification numbers for 2024-25, 2025-26 released to Wyoming schools

Enrollment numbers to be used to classify schools for Wyoming high school sports were recently released to schools, giving an indication of which classification schools will be in for sports in the 2024-25 and 2025-26 school years.

For most sports, Wyoming will use a new system for classifying its schools starting in the fall of 2024. Football will keep its existing structure, but some programs may switch classifications depending on enrollment.

Enrollment figures for the next round of reclassification, as provided by WHSAA Commissioner Trevor Wilson, are as follows:

1. Kelly Walsh, 2,035
2. Natrona, 1,886
3. Cheyenne East, 1,748
4. Rock Springs, 1,548
5. Cheyenne Central, 1,416
6. Campbell County, 1,354
7. Cheyenne South, 1,331
8. Thunder Basin, 1,297
9. Sheridan, 1,140
10. Laramie, 1,127
11. Star Valley, 919
12. Jackson, 916
13. Evanston, 827
14. Green River, 776
15. Riverton, 763
16. Cody, 630
17. Lander, 592
18. Powell, 558
19. Douglas, 510
20. Rawlins, 455
21. Torrington, 356
22. Buffalo, 352
23. Pinedale, 349
24. Worland, 343
25. Wheatland, 263
26. Lovell, 239
27. Mountain View, 238
28. Lyman, 237
29. Newcastle, 234
30. Burns, 224
31. Glenrock, 215
32. Moorcroft, 203
33. Thermopolis, 192
34. Kemmerer, 188
35. Tongue River, 165
36. Big Horn, 147
37. Big Piney, 145
38. Wyoming Indian, 138
39. Greybull, 138
40. Pine Bluffs, 132
41. Shoshoni, 130
42. Sundance, 127
43. Rocky Mountain, 127
44. Fort Washakie, 121
45. Wright, 119
46. Wind River, 117
47. Arapahoe Charter, 107
48. Lingle, 100
49. Saratoga, 98
50. St. Stephens, 92
51. Lusk, 85
52. Southeast, 82
53. Upton, 77
54. Riverside, 76
55. Cokeville, 68
56. Burlington, 65
57. Hanna, 64
58. Guernsey, 63
59. Midwest, 61
60. Snake River, 58
61. Dubois, 54
62. Farson, 54
63. Hulett, 43
64. Ten Sleep, 40
65. Encampment, 34
66. Rock River, 34
67. Kaycee, 31
68. Meeteetse, 30
69. Arvada-Clearmont, 26

For all sports except football, reclassification returns to hard enrollment cutoffs for the 2024-25 school year, thanks to a WHSAA vote earlier this year. Schools with 700 or more students will be in 4A, from 210 to 699 in 3A, from 110 to 209 in 2A, and remaining schools in 1A. Classifications will be the same for all sports except football, eliminating the structure of varying classifications for each sport. With those cutoffs, classifications for all other sports will be as follows starting in 2024-25:

Class 4A (15 schools): Kelly Walsh, Natrona, Cheyenne East, Rock Springs, Cheyenne Central, Campbell County, Cheyenne South, Thunder Basin, Sheridan, Laramie, Star Valley, Jackson, Evanston, Green River, Riverton.

Class 3A (16 schools): Cody, Lander, Powell, Douglas, Rawlins, Torrington, Buffalo, Pinedale, Worland, Wheatland, Lovell, Mountain View, Lyman, Newcastle, Burns, Glenrock.

Class 2A (14 schools): Moorcroft, Thermopolis, Kemmerer, Tongue River, Big Horn, Big Piney, Wyoming Indian, Greybull, Pine Bluffs, Shoshoni, Sundance, Rocky Mountain, Wright, Wind River.

Class 1A (22 schools): Lingle, Saratoga, St. Stephens, Lusk, Southeast, Upton, Riverside, Cokeville, Burlington, Hanna, Guernsey, Midwest, Snake River, Dubois, Farson, Hulett, Ten Sleep, Encampment, Rock River, Kaycee, Meeteetse, Arvada-Clearmont.

Conference alignments will be set by participating schools.

FOOTBALL: Football varies from other sports in its reclassification procedures as it places a certain number of schools in each classification as opposed to using an enrollment cutoff number. Currently, the top 10 schools are classified as 4A, the next 12 (schools 11-22) are 3A, the next 14 (schools 23-36) are 2A, the next 14 (schools 37-50) are 1A nine-man and the remaining schools are 1A six-man.

The presence of Fort Washakie (ranked No. 44) and Arapahoe Charter (ranked No. 47) will not affect football reclassification. Fort Washakie and Arapahoe Charter typically don’t offer varsity-level team sports. In the scenarios above, they have been removed from the rankings, thus adjusting the cutoff for 1A-9/1A-6 football to school No. 52 as opposed to No. 50.

In 2024-25 and 2025-26, Torrington is scheduled to move from 2A to 3A, while Worland is scheduled to move from 3A to 2A. Guernsey will also be scheduled to move from 1A-9 to 1A-6.

Other scheduled moves are more difficult to project, as numerous schools in 2A, 1A nine-man and 1A six-man opt either up or down to fit into their preferred classification.

Current schools opting up or down include Moorcroft, Wyoming Indian, Big Horn, Cokeville, Saratoga and Riverside. However, Wyoming Indian (1A-9), Saratoga (1A-9) and Big Horn (2A) will no longer have to opt up or down, as their enrollment now places them into the classifications in which they were already playing. Wyoming Indian will be playoff-eligible with this shift.

Moorcroft, Riverside and Cokeville will have choices to make, though. Moorcroft currently opts down to 1A-9 but will continue to be a 2A school by enrollment. Riverside also presently opts up to 1A-9 despite being classified as 1A-6 by enrollment, and the Rebels will remain below the nine-man cutoff. Cokeville will likely opt up to remain in 2A despite being a 1A-6 school in enrollment, as they have done the past few years.

Upton-Sundance will also remain in 2A in their co-op agreement.

Schools scheduled to move — Torrington, Worland and Guernsey — could also choose to opt up or down, as could any other school regardless of any changes to classification.

All opt-up or opt-down proposals must be approved by the WHSAA board of directors. Wilson said via email last week that opt-up and opt-down requests won’t be finished until the end of September.

Class 4A football will remain unchanged.

Casper Christian is not included in the above projections, since its enrollments were not included in ADM figures. Casper Christian offers six-man football as its only varsity sport at this point.

The first of four WHSAA quarterly regional meetings is scheduled for Wednesday in Wheatland. The fall WHSAA board of directors meeting will be Sept. 26-27 in Casper.

–patrick