Who runs Texas high school football?
The University Interscholastic League, the UIL, runs sports for Texas public schools. It sorts schools by size, draws the districts and runs the playoffs. Every two years it sorts everyone again with new enrollment numbers. That is realignment. Private schools mostly play in their own leagues, such as TAPPS and SPC, and hold their own playoffs.
What are the conferences?
Enrollment decides a school’s conference, from 6A for the biggest down to 1A. Each conference plays for its own state titles:
- 6A: enrollment 2,215 and up
- 5A: enrollment 1,305–2,214
- 4A: enrollment 550–1,304
- 3A: enrollment 246–549
- 2A: enrollment 105–245
- 1A: enrollment 104.9 and under
The smallest schools, in 1A, play six-man football: six players a side on a smaller field. 5A through 1A each split into Division I (larger schools) and Division II (smaller). 6A splits only for the playoffs. That makes 12 state champions.
What is a district?
A district is a group of nearby schools in the same conference. The UIL draws them, and district games decide who makes the playoffs. The top four teams in each district make it. In six-man, it is the top two. In 6A, the four teams that advance from each district split by enrollment. The two largest schools go to the Division I bracket and the other two go to Division II.
How do the playoffs work?
Most brackets start with 64 teams. The six-man brackets start with 32. Each bracket splits Texas into four regions, and a team plays only teams from its own region until four teams are left, one from each region. The playoffs are single elimination. Win and you play again next week. Lose and your season is over.
Where are the state championships played?
The UIL plays its state championship games at AT&T Stadium in Arlington in December.
