Greenwood, based on enrollment, is dropping down to class 5A. Shiloh Christian, is moving up to class 7A, based on the AAA’s Competitive Equity Factor, a system to balance public and private school sports by adjusting classifications based on performance.
Those two schools are being replaced in the conference by Little Rock Catholic and Little Rock Southwest. Catholic this year went 2-8 while Southwest drops down from class 7A after going 0-10. Since they started their program in 2020, Southwest has an 8-52 record.
In class 5A, Harrison and the 5A West Conference gets a whole lot tougher with two teams joining that played for state championships this year. Greenwood and Dardanelle move into the conference while Greenbrier and Vilonia move into the 5A Central conference.
Greenwood played in the 6A Championship game this year and Dardanelle was in the 4A title tilt.
The 3A-2 Conference will have three new teams next season as Marshall, Newport and Riverview will join the conference. Leaving will be Atkins, Episcopal and Mayflower.
Marshall is returning to 11-man football after playing 8-man for the last several cycles.
The conference also includes Yellville-Summit, Salem, Melbourne and Mountain View.
Izard County is going back to 8-man football from 11-man. The Cougars won a state championship their first year of 8-man, but struggled in two-years of 11-man playing in the 2A-2 conference.
Izard County is one of seven new teams going to 8-man football. They will be placed in the new West Conference along with Guy Perkins, Johnson County Westside, Magazine, Rose Bud and Southside Bee Branch.
**7A FB Conferences 2026-28**
New in 7A – Shiloh Out in 7A – Southwest
CENTRAL – Bryant, Cabot, Conway, FS Northside, LR Central, LR Christian, North Little Rock, Pulaski Academy
WEST – Bentonville, Bentonville West, Fayetteville, Rogers, Rogers Heritage, Shiloh Christian, Springdale, Springdale Har-Ber
Comparison to 2024-26 West – Northside is out, Shiloh Christian is in.
Central – Little Rock Southwest is out, Northside is in.
**6A FB Conferences 2026-28**
New in 6A – Little Rock Southwest, Searcy
Out of 6A – Greenwood, Shiloh Christian
EAST – Benton, El Dorado, Jonesboro, Marion, Searcy, Sheridan, Sylvan Hills, West Memphis
WEST – Fort Smith Southside, Lake Hamilton, LR Catholic, LR Southwest, Mountain Home, Russellville, Siloam Springs, Van Buren
Comparison to 2024-26 East – Little Rock Catholic is out, Searcy is in.
West – Greenwood, Shiloh Christian are out. Little Rock Catholic, Little Rock Southwest are in.
**5A FB Conferences 2026-28**
New in 5A – Dardanelle, Greenwood, Mills
Out of 5A – Hope, Watson Chapel, Searcy
EAST – Batesville, Brookland, Greene County Tech, Harding Academy, Nettleton, Paragould, Valley View, Wynne
CENTRAL – Beebe, Greenbrier, Jacksonville, LR Parkview, Maumelle, Mills, Robinson, Vilonia
SOUTH – Arkansas High, Camden Fairview, De Queen, Hot Springs, Hot Springs Lakeside, Magnolia, Pine Bluff, White Hall
WEST – Alma, Clarksville, Dardanelle, Farmington, Greenwood, Harrison, Morrilton, Pea Ridge Comparison to 2024-26
East – same as 2024-26
Central – Pine Bluff, Searcy, Watson Chapel, White Hall are out. Greenbrier, Parkview, Mills, Vilonia are in.
South – Hope, Parkview are out. Pine Bluff, White Hall are in.
West – Greenbrier, Vilonia are out. Greenwood and Dardanelle are in.
**4A FB Conferences 2026-28**
New in 4A – Hope, Booneville, Mayflower, Fouke, Subiaco Academy, Watson Chapel
Out of 4A – Cave City, Dardanelle, Hall, Mills, Riverview, Helena West Helena
Central 4A-1 – Berryville, Elkins, Gentry, Gravette, Green Forest, Huntsville, Lincoln, Prairie Grove
4A-2 – Bald Knob, Bauxite, CAC, Clinton, Haskell Harmony Grove, Heber Springs, Lonoke, Mayflower
4A-3 – Blytheville, Forrest City, Gosnell, Highland, Jonesboro Westside, Pocahontas, Southside Charter, Trumann
4A-4 – Booneville, Dover, Lamar, Mena, Ozark, Pottsville, Subiaco Academy, Waldron
4A-7 – Arkadelphia, Ashdown, Fouke, Fountain Lake, Genoa Central, Hope, Malvern, Nashville,
4A-8 – Crossett, DeWitt, Hamburg, Monticello, Star City, Stuttgart, Warren, Watson Chapel
Comparison to 2024-26
4A-1 Same as 2024-26
4A-2 Forrest City, Hall, Mills, Riverview are out. Bauxite, Clinton, Mayflower, Harmony Grove are in.
4A-3 Cave City is out. Forrest City is in.
4A-4 Dardanelle, Clinton are out. Booneville, Subiaco are in.
4A-7 Harmony Grove, Bauxite are out. Hope, Fouke are in.
4A-8 Helena West Helena Central is out. Watson Chapel is in.
**3A FB Conferences 2026-28**
47 schools in 3A due to an enrollment tie
New in 3A – Riverview, Helena West Helena Central, Conway Christian, Cossatot, Marshall
Out of 3A – Booneville, Episcopal, Mayflower, Magnet Cove, Fouke, Hackett
3A-1 – Cedarville, Charleston, Greenland, Lavaca, Mansfield, Paris, West Fork
3A-2 – Marshall, Melbourne, Mountain View, Newport, Quitman, Riverview, Salem, Yellville-Summit
3A-3 – Harrisburg, Hoxie, Manila, Osceola, Palestine-Wheatley, Piggott, Rivercrest, Walnut Ridge
3A-4 – Atkins, Conway Christian, Cutter Morning Star, Danville, Glen Rose, Jessieville, Perryville, Two Rivers
3A-7 – Bismarck, Camden Harmony Grove, Centerpoint, Cossatot River, Horatio, Parkers Chapel, Prescott, Smackover
3A-8 – Barton, Drew Central, Dumas, Fordyce, Helena-West Helena Central, Lake Village, McGehee, Rison
Comparison to 2024-26
3A-1 Booneville is out, Paris is in.
3A-2 Atkins, Episcopal, Mayflower are out. Marshall, Newport, Riverview are in.
3A-3 Newport is out. Palestine Wheatley is in.
3A-4 Magnet Cove, Paris are out. Conway Christian, Atkins are in.
3A-7 Fouke is out. Cossatot River is in.
3A-8 Palestine Wheatley is out. Helena West Helena Central is in.
**2A FB Conferences 2026-28**
30 Schools
New in 2A – Magnet Cove, Episcopal, Hackett
Out of 2A – Conway Christian, Magazine, JC Westside, Izard County, Lafayette County
2A-1 -Bigelow, Hackett, Hector, Magnet Cove, Mount Ida, Mountain Pine, Mountainburg
2A-2 – Clarendon, Cross County, Des Arc, Earle, East Poinsett County, Lee County, Marked Tree, McCrory
2A-3 -Dierks, Foreman, Gurdon, Junction City, Mineral Springs, Murfreesboro, Spring Hill
2A-4 – Baptist Prep, Bearden, Carlisle, England, Episcopal Collegiate, Hampton, Hazen, Poyen
Comparison to 2024-26
2A-1 Conway Christian, Magazine, JC Westside are out. Hackett, Magnet Cove are in.
2A-2 Izard County is out. Clarendon is in.
2A-3 Lafayette County is out. 2A-4 Clarendon is out. Episcopal is in.
**8 Man FB Conferences 2026-28**
20 Schools
New in 8 man – Izard County, JC Westside, Magazine, Rose Bud, Corning, Blevins, Lafayette County
West – Guy-Perkins, Izard County, Johnson County Westside, Magazine, Rose Bud, South Side Bee Branch
East – Augusta, Brinkley, Cedar Ridge, Corning, Marvell, Midland, Rector
South – Blevins, Dermott, Friendship Aspire, Hermitage, Lafayette County, Strong, Woodlawn
Non-Sanctioned Club – Cave City
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