Every two years, the landscape of WPIAL sports changes when the PIAA realigns sports classifications for all schools in the state. The change this time is in the 2022-23 school year.
The PIAA recently released new classifications for all teams around the state. The PIAA makes classifications based on school enrollments of students currently in grades 9-11. The PIAA divides the classifications equally for all schools around the state and geography has nothing to do with the new classifications.
For example, if there are, say, 400 teams playing boys soccer in the state, the PIAA takes the number of classifications for the sport and then divides up the teams for the new classifications. The top 100 schools in terms of enrollment would be Class 4A, the next 100 3A, the next 100 2A and the final 100 1A.
The WPIAL bases all of its sport conferences and sections on the PIAA’s classifications. The WPIAL does not make its own classifications.
The WPIAL will be making new sections and conferences over the next month or two and has some decisions to make in some sports. For example, what will the league do with only five teams in WPIAL Class 6A football next season? Also, the field also has shrunk in WPIAL Class 6A boys and girls basketball.
Here are new classifications for all WPIAL and City League sports teams. Use the chart at the end to figure out in which classification a team will play.
Here are the official PIAA classification parameters for all sports, using boys and girls enrollments of students in grades 9-11:
BOYS
BASEBALL
Class 1A: 1-95; Class 2A: 96-149; Class 3A: 150-214; Class 4A: 215-328; Class 5A: 329-523; Class 6A: 524 and above.
BASKETBALL
Class 1A: 1-83; Class 2A: 84-132; Class 3A: 133-194; Class 4A: 195-297; Class 5A: 298-507; Class 6A: 508 and above.
CROSS COUNTRY
Class 1A: 1-167; Class 2A: 168-363; Class 3A: 364 and above.
FOOTBALL
Class 1A: 1-123; Class 2A: 124-180; Class 3A: 181-262; Class 4A: 263-382; Class 5A: 383-557; Class 6A: 558 and above.
GOLF
Class 2A: 1-251; Class 3A: 252 and above.
LACROSSE
Class 2A: 1-480; Class 3A: 481 and above.
SOCCER
Class 1A: 1-156; Class 2A: 157-262; Class 3A: 263-463; Class 4A: 464 and above.
SWIMMING AND DIVING
Class 2A: 1-392; Class 3A: 393 and above.
TENNIS
Class 2A: 1-339; Class 3A: 340 and above.
VOLLEYBALL
Class 2A: 1-423. 3A: 424 and above.
WRESTLING
Class 2A: 1-291. Class 3A: 292 and above.
GIRLS
BASKETBALL
Class 1A: 1-83; Class 2A: 84-129; Class 3A: 130-194; Class 4A: 195-291; Class 5A: 292-466; Class 6A: 467 and above.
CHEER
Class 2A: 1-319; Class 3A: 320 and above.
CROSS COUNTRY
Class 1A: 1-166; Class 2A: 167-341; Class 3A: 342 and above.
FIELD HOCKEY
Class 1A: 1-284; Class 2A: 285-485; Class 3A: 486 and above.
GOLF
Class 2A: 1-269; Class 3A: 270 and above.
LACROSSE
Class 2A: 1-436; Class 3A: 437 and above.
SOCCER
Class 1A: 1-158; Class 2A: 159-259; Class 3A: 260-436; Class 4A: 437 and above.
SOFTBALL
Class 1A: 1-97; Class 2A: 98-150; Class 3A: 151-220; Class 4A: 221-321; Class 5A: 322-587; Class 6A: 488 and above.
SWIMMING AND DIVING
Class 2A: 1-370; Class 3A: 371 and above.
TENNIS
Class 2A: 1-327; Class 3A: 328 and above.
TRACK AND FIELD
Class 2A: 1-230; Class 3A: 231 and above.
VOLLEYBALL
Class 1A: 1-107; Class 2A: 108-222; Class 3A: 223-416; Class 4A: 417 and above.
Mike White: mwhite@post-gazette.com and Twitter @mwhiteburgh
First Published: January 10, 2022, 3:08 p.m.
Updated: January 10, 2022, 3:13 p.m.
