THE GORGE — An Oregon School Activities Association committee held its second meeting Sept. 6 to decide what league’s the state’s high schools will be competing in beginning in fall 2026.
The OSAA’s Classification and Districting Committee will recommend to the executive board the league alignments and membership for the 2026-30, four-year time block. The committee met on Sept. 8 and heard testimony from about a dozen school representatives and then adjourned to discuss the information in private.
Based on earlier feedback from member schools, two weeks ago the OSAA proposed two options: a six-classification alignment; and one that has five enrollment classifications. Both scenarios are in their infancy; the process traditionally involves much give-and-take (shuffling of schools and, sometimes, enrollment levels) before it is presented to the OSAA Executive Board and Delegate Assembly for approval (in February).
The committee is seeking feedback on the cutoff points, league alignments and school placement. It also will hold meetings on Oct. 6, Oct. 27, Nov. 17, and Dec. 15.
The six-classification proposal has Hood River Valley in the 5A enrollment division, competing in the 5A East Metro Conference. Other members of that conference would be Centennial, La Salle Prep, Milwaukie, Parkrose, Putnam, and St. Helens.
The six-classification proposal has The Dalles in the 4A Tri-Valley Conference along with Estacada, Gladstone, Madras, Molalla, and North Marion.
The five-classification idea also has The Dalles in the 4A Tri-Valley Conference, but with different opponents. The five-classification version of the Tri-Valley also includes Crook County, Estacada, Gladstone, La Salle Prep, Madras, Molalla, North Marion, and Ridgeview.
Hood River Valley would be placed among the state’s largest enrollment schools in the five-classification proposal. The proposal has the Eagles competing in the East Metro Conference along with Barlow, David Douglas, Gresham, Parkrose, Reynolds, and Sandy.
The OSAA’s Football Ad Hoc Committee will again review and provide recommendations related to football classifications, districts and structure during the new time block.
On Sept. 11, the OSAA sent two more proposals to membership, based on feedback from the Sept. 8 meeting. Hood River remains in the same leagues mentioned above, based on either of the new six class or five class scenarios. The Dalles would be placed in the five-team, Class 4A Greater Oregon League in the six-class proposal – along with Baker, La Grande, Madras, and Pendleton. The Riverhawks would be joined by those schools along with Ridgeview and Crook County in the five-class proposal.
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