It was anything but a typical Thursday for high school athletic departments throughout Texas as the UIL announced its district realignment for the 2024-2026 cycle with changes coming for Frisco ISD and Liberty.

Football saw the biggest change, with the Redhawks dropping from 5A-Division I to 5A-Division II with a school’s division placement based on each school’s enrollment on a given day in October. 

“I mean, it doesn’t necessarily get easier because, you know, everybody in D2 is pretty good,” head football coach Matt Swinnea said. “Bottom line is we’re just gonna have to, you know, prepare well and do our best. You know, it’ll be interesting to see how it all shakes out. So just a lot of questions, but certainly [seeing] a lot of new faces.”

Placed in 5A-Division II District Four, the Redhawks football team will be joined by fellow Frisco schools Emerson, Independence, and Memorial, along with Anna, Lovejoy, Denison, Walnut Grove and Melissa. 

“It’s going to be a tough season,” varsity football player, junior Reid Sommers said. “I’m not nervous, because it’s just still football nothing to be nervous about. At the end of the day, it’s all just still a bunch of teenagers playing football on the field, and it’s nothing to be scared about.”

The Redhawks basketball district remained relatively the same, except for one team. District 11-5A now consists of only Frisco schools with Walnut Grove being placed elsewhere. However, that was not the girls’ basketball team’s main concern looking at the new realignment. 

The team was looking to see if one the two girls’ programs in the state, Desoto, would drop from 6A to 5A. But although DeSoto’a attendance warrants a 5A placement, the school is appealing to stay in 6A.

“No fear, but loads of respect [towards Desoto],” girls’ head basketball coach Ross Reedy said. “Them staying in 6A probably fits what they’re doing not just in basketball, but across all sports. As it relates to us, you know, I’m gonna call up coach again this year, and ask her if she wants to play again. We really respect them, and we’d like to get tested by them, and so it just would have to be in the preseason.”

Volleyball’s district remains the same as basketball with Walnut Grove departing and Frisco High School coming in. However, come playoff time, the Redhawks would still have to overcome 10-time state champion Lovejoy.

“In the playoffs, we’re always going to have tough rounds, and so in order for us to win and be successful we’re going to have to win and play great teams,” volleyball head coach Eighmy Dobbins said. “We would have to play them at some point, so it doesn’t really change a lot for us, just have to be prepared for them coming up.”