2027-2029 Classifications

[BSUBeaver]

MSHSL Classifications for the next 2 year cycle, 2027-28 and 2028-29, will occur earlier this year. The League has the numbers they will be using on their website.

League Page for 2027-2029: https://www.mshsl.org/classification-an ... -resources

Alphabetized Enrollment: https://www.mshsl.org/sites/default/fil ... 8-2029.pdf

Numerical Enrollment: https://www.mshsl.org/sites/default/fil ... 8-2029.pdf

[BSUBeaver]

"Opt up" forms are due from the schools this Friday, September 11th.

[BSUBeaver]

MSHSL has come up with their activity classification guidelines for 2027-28 and 2028-29:
https://www.mshsl.org/sites/default/fil ... 8-2029.pdf

Enrollment Numbers:
https://www.mshsl.org/sites/default/fil ... 8-2029.pdf

Boys Hockey hits at 1176 and above are AA, 1175 and below are A.

Sartell is the last team into AA at 1176, Sauk Rapids-Rice at 1174 starts A.

Placements can still be appealed until 09/25/2026.

[bardown27]

Have been thinking about this for a few days now. Wonder what the chances are with this "bigger blow up" this year, that the MSHSL considers having a "Northern" section, putting the three Duluth (maybe 4 depending on Denfeld) schools, along with Rapids, Rock Ridge, Bemidji, Roseau, and Moorhead into one section. If Denfeld stays up, Moorhead could likely be the team that moves out.

Thoughts?

[ndirishfighting]

why so only one northern school represents the North? What happens and where do the other schools in those sections go? That would suck for Moorhead if they had to travel or anyone else having to go to Moorhead

[bardown27]

why so only one northern school represents the North? What happens and where do the other schools in those sections go? That would suck for Moorhead if they had to travel or anyone else having to go to Moorhead

Over the last 10 state tournaments with two “northern” sections, only three years have had two teams from what would be considered north.

Last year Roseau drove over 5 hours to play Elk River in a section quarterfinal game. Roseau to Moorhead or the Duluth area is shorter, so what is your point about Moorhead traveling or someone traveling to them? They have to travel for one game, then do semis and finals in Bemidji, which is fairly central for what would be teams in that section.

[ndirishfighting]

ok so lets see your draw of sections and where all these other schools end up???

Bemidji great location for a central venue, problem being lots of the venues are already contracted out X amount of years for Semi and Finals

[bardown27]

ok so lets see your draw of sections and where all these other schools end up???

Bemidji great location for a central venue, problem being lots of the venues are already contracted out X amount of years for Semi and Finals

1AA: Austin, Lakeville N, Lakeville S, New Prague, Owatonna, Prior Lake, Rochester Century/JM, Rochester Mayo
2AA: Jefferson, Chan, Chaska, EP, HF, Shakopee, Minnetonka, Wayzata
3AA: Apple Valley/Burnsville, Cretin, Eagan, Eastview, Farmington, Rosemount, STA, Two Rivers
4AA: East Ridge, Gentry, Hill, Park, Roseville, Stillwater, WBL, Woodbury
5AA: Andover, Anoka, Blaine, Cambridge, Centennial, Forest Lake, Mounds View, Northern Edge
6AA: Armstrong/Cooper, BSM, Champlin Park, Edina, Holy Angels, Hopkins, Spring Lake Park/Coon Rapids, Totino
7AA: Alex, Brainerd, Buffalo, Elk River, Maple Grove, Rogers, St Cloud, STMA
8AA: Bemidji, Denfeld, East, Grand Rapids, Duluth Marshall, Moorhead, Rock Ridge, Roseau

Bemidji is always the possibility of a site for I believe 8AA depending what teams make the section final. so contracted out X amount of years isn't entirely true.

[headsupsticksdown]

I'm counting the number of transfers out of 2AA if that happens. Good luck getting out of that section.

[BP]

ok so lets see your draw of sections and where all these other schools end up???

Bemidji great location for a central venue, problem being lots of the venues are already contracted out X amount of years for Semi and Finals

1AA: Austin, Lakeville N, Lakeville S, New Prague, Owatonna, Prior Lake, Rochester Century/JM, Rochester Mayo
2AA: Jefferson, Chan, Chaska, EP, HF, Shakopee, Minnetonka, Wayzata
3AA: Apple Valley/Burnsville, Cretin, Eagan, Eastview, Farmington, Rosemount, STA, Two Rivers
4AA: East Ridge, Gentry, Hill, Park, Roseville, Stillwater, WBL, Woodbury
5AA: Andover, Anoka, Blaine, Cambridge, Centennial, Forest Lake, Mounds View, Northern Edge
6AA: Armstrong/Cooper, BSM, Champlin Park, Edina, Holy Angels, Hopkins, Spring Lake Park/Coon Rapids, Totino
7AA: Alex, Brainerd, Buffalo, Elk River, Maple Grove, Rogers, St Cloud, STMA
8AA: Bemidji, Denfeld, East, Grand Rapids, Duluth Marshall, Moorhead, Rock Ridge, Roseau

Bemidji is always the possibility of a site for I believe 8AA depending what teams make the section final. so contracted out X amount of years isn't entirely true.

Hopkins will most likely be A - that probably puts Wayzata back in 6. I don't for see 6 looking like that above - but would be a nice change of sections and I like your ideas.

[bardown27]

I don’t know if I agree Hopkins will be A. Well
Above the cut off line, similar number of students over from the last enrollment number and A/AA cut off. I don’t know if their demographics have changed that drastically in 2 years but we’ll all find out soon!

[BSUBeaver]

Appeals for AA schools requesting to be bumped down are being held today, October 6. Tomorrow, October 7, schools will be notified of the determination. Section alignment will then be on the agenda at the December 3 Board Meeting for approval.

[Duluthguy]

According to this morning's Strib (10-10-26):

Several schools large enough to be classified as AA in boys hockey successfully petitioned to play single-A. The Strib lists these schools:

Alexandria, Austin, Minneapolis (co-op), Monticello, Osseo, Robbinsdale (co-op), Rocori, Sartell, St. Anthony Village, St. Louis Park, St. Paul (co-op), St. Peter, Tartan and Waconia.

The Strib also reports that while Hopkins' co-op with St. Louis Park in Girls hockey was allowed to move down to Single-A, the Hopkins boys hockey petition was denied, and the Royals will remain in AA.

[Cookster]

It will be interesting to see how Waconia moving to class A will affect Section 2. Will they go to 7 teams, or will some powerhouse get placed in the section

[blueblood]

Waconia was in Class A to begin with