Realignment creates unique wrinkles in 2026 prep football schedule
Every two years, there are fresh wrinkles in New Mexico’s prep football schedule. This is especially true in 2026. The beginning of a new, two-year scheduling block brings with it the usual variety of new looks and matchups across the board for virtually every football-playing school in the state.
But this year, it also coincides with the New Mexico Activities Association having moved the ...
Every two years, there are fresh wrinkles in New Mexico’s prep football schedule. This is especially true in 2026. The beginning of a new, two-year scheduling block brings with it the usual variety of new looks and matchups across the board for virtually every football-playing school in the state.
But this year, it also coincides with the New Mexico Activities Association having moved the pieces around the chess board to create much larger districts for virtually all the 11-Man classes. In 3A-6A, this means fewer nondistrict games (three for most, two for some) for everyone. In essence, the NMAA took the top 16 enrollment schools and put them in 6A, the next 16 largest in 5A, and so on.
Exact times and dates (and stadiums) are still largely to be announced, but here are some of the highlights for schools in the metro area: Starting with defending Class 6A state champion Cleveland, the Storm open at home with Centennial, on Friday, Aug. 21. Cleveland also will face Chatfield, Colorado, and Amarillo High from West Texas before beginning District 1-5A action.
Continue to the original source for the full article.