Powerhouse shifts: How Kansas football’s new classifications reshape playoffs

The path to a state championship is going to look significantly different across the highest level of Kansas high school football in the 2026 and 2027 seasons.

The Kansas State High School Activities Association announced classification changes on Thursday, most notably including Mill Valley moving up, St. Thomas Aquinas moving down and Andover Central and Kapaun Mt. Carmel climbing back to Class 5A — seismic shifts involving four of the most successful programs in the state.

The headliner is Mill Valley’s move from Class 5A to Class 6A, a jump that sends one of the state’s most dominant programs into the largest classification of Kansas football. The Jaguars have won seven of the last 10 titles in 5A, including five straight from 2019-23. For years, 5A has run through Mill Valley; now the Jaguars will test their dynasty against schools like Gardner-Edgerton.

At the same time, Aquinas is headed in the other direction — dropping from 5A back to 4A. The Saints have been a semifinal lock for more than a decade, with 11 straight appearances and back-to-back state titles. They most recently played in 4A during the 2022-23 cycle, which included winning it all in 2023, and they’ll renew their heated postseason rivalry with Bishop Miege when they return to the 4A East bracket.

Closer to Wichita, Andover Central and Kapaun are both making the climb from 4A to 5A. That changes the complexion of the 5A West bracket in a hurry. Andover Central, the defending 4A champions, has been a fixture at the top of 4A under head coach Derek Tuttle. The Jaguars will now see postseason matchups with the likes of Hutchinson, Maize South, Eisenhower, Bishop Carroll, Goddard and Andover.

For Kapaun, the move is more of a return to familiar territory. The Crusaders have spent most of their history in 5A before the recent dip into 4A, where they’re currently undefeated and ranked No. 1 this fall. They played for the 5A state title in 2023 and look every bit like a contender again under head coach Weston Schartz. With the Jaguars and Crusaders entering the 5A West playoff picture, the path to the state title game just got a lot tougher.

But the exits of those two Wichita powers also opens the door in the Class 4A West bracket. With both gone, programs like Buhler, McPherson, Wellington and Mulvane have a clearer path to pursuing a state final. But they will also have to contend with the likes of Great Bend, which is dropping down to 4A after becoming a recent power in the 5A mix.

Here is a complete list of changes for Wichita-area teams for the 2026 and 2027 seasons:

• Andover Central: Class 5A (from 4A)
• Belle Plaine: Class 1A (from 2A)
• Bluestem: Class 1A (from 2A)
• Chaparral: Class 2A (from 3A)
• Cunningham: 8-man Div. II (from 6-man)
• Eureka: Class 1A (from 2A)
• Flinthills: 8-man Div. II (from 8-man Div. I)
• Goessel: 8-man Div. II (from 8-man Div. I)
• Hillsboro: Class 1A (from 2A)
• Kapaun Mt. Carmel: Class 5A (from 4A)
• Little River: 8-man Div. II (from 8-man Div. I)
• Marion: Class 2A (from 1A)
• South Sumner: 8-man Div. I (from 1A)
• Wichita Independent: 8-man Div. II (from 8-man Div. I)
• Wichita West: Class 5A (from 6A)

This story was originally published September 26, 2025 at 5:02 AM.

Taylor Eldridge

The Wichita Eagle

316-268-6270

Wichita State athletics beat reporter. Bringing you closer to the Shockers you love and inside the sports you love to watch.