While preparations for the upcoming season have been ongoing since last December, the 2026 football season officially begins for S.C. High School League on July 30, the first day of practice of the preseason.
Here’s what has changed since last season:
Realignment
The SCHSL realigns member schools based on enrollment every two years and 2026-28 offers a new alignment. Statewide there were some significant alterations for classification and region classification of schools.
Class AAAAA will no longer have two divisions, and Class A is now the largest classification by number of members and will have two state champions in sports such as football, baseball and basketball.
With the number of AAAAA schools reduced, every classification saw additions and subtractions of schools. Here is how the local regions will align starting this season.
Region 5-AAAAA: Ashley Ridge, Fort Dorchester, James Island, Stall, Stratford, Summerville, West Ashley.
Region 6-AAAAA: Berkeley, Cane Bay, Carolina Forest, Goose Creek, Socastee, Wando.
Region 6-AAAA: Beaufort, Bluffton, Colleton County, Hilton Head, Lucy Beckham, May River.
Region 5-AAA: Bishop England, Georgetown, Hanahan, North Charleston, Oceanside Collegiate.
Region 5-AA: Academic Magnet, Battery Creek, Bridges Prep, Lake Marion, Phillip Simons, Timberland, Woodland.
Region 8-A: Baptist Hill, Burke, Charleston Charter, Cross, Lowcountry Leadership, Military Magnet, Palmetto Scholars, St. John’s.
The S.C. Independent Schools Association also shuffled schools into new regions and classifications. The most notable change is Pinewood Prep’s move from AAA to AAAA. The Panthers won the last two AAA state championships and now will contend with Northwood Academy, the defending AAAA state champion.
New coaches
Five Lowcountry football programs will be led by new head coaches this fall. Those schools include Stall (Joe Hauff), Goose Creek (Jamie Fordham), Colleton County (Bradley Adams), Timberland (Brooks Burnette) and St. John’s (Paul Hamilton).