New classifications shake up Florida football

Local population count determines districting for 2022

OVIEDO, FLORIDA – Fans of the Oviedo Lions and Hagerty Huskies are loud and spirited when these crosstown rivals face off in the regular season each year. Thousands pack the stands, and all around the fence line every fall.

But for the first time in a while, these Seminole County football teams know they will not meet each other in the postseason if both advance that far. So, the Mayor’s Cup, which is given annually to the regular-season winner, takes on a whole new meaning in 2022 – thanks to the Florida High School Athletic Association’s new classifications.

Oviedo and Hagerty will compete in different classes within the Metro category this football season / Photo courtesy of Hagerty Journalism

Gone is the eight-classification format that was based on student body population and in its place is a four-tiered classification system that is based on local population. Classifications are broken up into four categories: Metro, Suburban, Rural, and Independent.

Metro and Suburban categories each will have four classifications broken down into four regions and a varying number of districts. For example, Class 4M, 3M and 2M (Metro) each will have four regions and 16 total districts, but Class 1M (Metro) will have four regions and eight total districts.

All four classes in the Metro and Suburban categories will have their own state championship bracket. The Rural category will have one state championship bracket. The result breaks up some local rivalries but will likely create some new ones.

This year, Hagerty will compete in 4M, District 3 with three Orlando schools (Colonial, Timber Creek, and University) and longtime power Winter Park.

Meanwhile, Oviedo will compete in 3M, District 2 with East River, a school on the eastern fringe of Orange County, and Seminole County’s Lake Howell, Lyman, and Winter Springs.

“It’s a different beast this year,” said Oviedo coach Greg Odierno. “I personally liked the old format better but at the end of the day, it’s still football. I do think if you win your district, you should have an automatic playoff game.”

A total of 32 teams will make up the playoff field in each class in 2M-4M, and 2S-4S. Four district champions and four at-large qualifiers qualify from each of the four regions. Seeding will be based on the FHSAA power rankings, with the higher seed hosting.

Not everyone is a fan of the new format.

“When classifying by county, it creates some very real discrepancies between schools if the district is not balanced,” Hagerty athletic director Jay Getty said. “For instance, Lyman, Winter Springs, Lake Howell, the far end of the spectrum when it comes to remotely touching a metro environment. On the other hand, Seminole, Lake Mary, Lake Brantley, much closer to that metro type environment. Meanwhile, Oviedo and Hagerty sit right in the middle of both extremes.”

On the Space Coast, Cocoa High athletic director Mark Carstens is happy with the new classifications. The Tigers, who have advanced to a state championship game in four of the last six seasons, will compete in 2S (Suburban) District 12 with fellow Brevard schools Astronaut, Palm Bay, Space Coast and Titusville.

“For Cocoa, it helps with our scheduling as we are now in a district and playing more games now closer to home,” said Carstens, whose school last year played in Class 4A, Region 2 and traveled to play powerhouses Vero Beach, Kissimmee Osceola, and Venice, among others. “It cuts down on our travel costs. We are still playing some great teams as well, better balance for us.

“From a postseason perspective, we just need to play Cocoa football and we will have a chance to win,” Carstens said.

Florida schools begin the 2022 season with the first day of practice and non-contact drills on Aug. 1. The first practice date for contact drills is Aug. 6.