Fox Chapel proposes WPIAL football alignment based on roster size, win-loss records

By: Chris Harlan
Tuesday, September 30, 2025 | 5:00 PM

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Rather than separate football teams by school enrollment, should roster size and win-loss records be considered when the WPIAL creates new conferences?

A proposal recently sent to the WPIAL office would do just that. In a plan spearheaded by Fox Chapel athletic director Mike O’Brien that was made public Tuesday, football teams would be divided into seven divisions based on “current and past performances, roster numbers and a program’s current standing.”

Currently, teams are divided into six classifications by male enrollment. The WPIAL then uses geography to further separate the teams into conferences with minimal tweaks for competitive balance factored in.

The Fox Chapel plan would most benefit teams now struggling to compete. As an example, the proposal would theoretically drop Class 5A teams Fox Chapel and Baldwin and 6A team Butler into “League 3,” a 16-team grouping that includes some current Class 4A and 3A competitors.

A weighted points system would determine playoff qualifiers.

“We need to evolve,” O’Brien said. “We need to meet these student-athletes and teams where they are and consider other factors when placing teams in categories. The proposal … matches teams that will be able to compete with one another.

“Unfortunately, despite the large amount of work students are putting in, some are not winning even a single contest during the season. This is why this new proposal could be more effective.”

Fox Chapel said the proposal was drafted in collaboration with several other school districts and had support from “traditional football powerhouses to middle-of-the-road teams to struggling programs.” This was the third time Fox Chapel has submitted a plan to overhaul the process in recent years.

WPIAL chief operating officer Vince Sortino said he hadn’t yet studied the latest proposal but noted that the first two versions were not widely supported.

“Both times the committee overwhelmingly didn’t feel it was a proposal that would benefit the league — especially the entire league,” Sortino said.

Sortino said the WPIAL office frequently receives and considers suggestions from athletic directors during the every-other-year realignment process. He said Fox Chapel’s newest plan would be considered and potentially presented to the football committee for its recommendation.

The biennual realignment process in all sports takes place in odd-numbered years. The process starts with the PIAA collecting updated enrollment numbers from all schools by mid-October. The WPIAL won’t start creating conferences until later in the year, but Sortino said those conversations are always ongoing.

“We’re always having discussions on how we can better realign our sections and better benefit the competitive balance of all or our sections across all sports,” Sortino said. “This is an ongoing process all the time. That’s why our committees are so important.”

Competitive imbalance drew added attention in recent weeks with some teams forfeiting and others asking opponents for mercy.

Fox Chapel, which was outscored 168-24 in three Northeast Conference losses this season, asked Pine-Richland to shorten the length of their most recent game. Baldwin also initially asked conference opponents to cut time off the clock before rescinding that request.

Three WPIAL games this fall were postponed or forfeited by Shady Side Academy, Rochester and Springdale because of a lack of available, healthy players. Fox Chapel viewed its proposal as a way to further protect students, and superintendent Mary Catherine Reljac stressed that sports injuries hurt academic achievements.

“Last year, I counted over one-third of our football team injured on the sidelines as the season progressed, resulting in lost academic time (the core purpose of our schools) and season-ending injuries,” Reljac said in Fox Chapel’s statement. “It was highly concerning to me as a superintendent who is charged with keeping children safe.”

Reljac said risk of injuries is increased in games that lack a competitive balance. O’Brien said Fox Chapel’s plan would help struggling teams add players and let schools avoid shutting down a dwindling program.

“Fewer and fewer students are joining football programs, partially due to parent and guardian concerns about concussions and injuries,” O’Brien said. “This proposal could help grow rosters as it will allow more teams to experience success.”

Proposal sent to WPIAL

Fox Chapel athletic director Mike O’Brien has asked the WPIAL to consider a proposal that would significantly change the way football conferences are determined. Rather use than enrollment, the plan would also consider roster size and team success. Here’s a look at the suggested conferences with roster sizes, according to Fox Chapel.

League 1 (18 schools)

• Peters Township (80), Upper St. Clair (100+), Seneca Valley (90), Pine-Richland (81), North Allegheny (100+), Central Catholic (100+)

• Canon-McMillan (69), Mt. Lebanon (54), Moon (94), South Fayette (69), North Hills (70), Bethel Park (55)

• Hempfield (71), Norwin (64), Penn-Trafford (74), Gateway (71), Woodland Hills (77), Penn Hills (58)

League 2 (15 teams)

• McKeesport (72), West Allegheny (55), Montour (65), Trinity (65), Thomas Jefferson (100)

• Aliquippa (42), Belle Vernon (39), Central Valley (54), North Catholic (52), Avonworth (55)

• New Castle (62), Mars (64), Plum (70), Kiski Area (40), Franklin Regional (62)

League 3 (16 teams)

• Chartiers Valley (58), Ringgold (47), Laurel Highlands (48), West Mifflin (53), Latrobe (75), Connellsville (57)

• Beaver (42), Baldwin (35), Imani Christian (37), Hopewell (52), Blackhawk (54)

• Hampton (56), Shaler (64), Fox Chapel (57), Armstrong (63), Butler (63)

League 4 (17 teams)

• Highlands (57), Freeport (42), Shady Side Academy (39), Knoch (44), Steel Valley (50), Indiana (44)

• Ambridge (42), Our Lady of the Sacred Heart (52), Riverside (37), Ellwood City (39), Western Beaver (38), Bishop Canevin (37)

• Elizabeth Forward (44), Southmoreland (39), Seton LaSalle (46), Washington (40), Mt. Pleasant (60)

League 5 (22 teams)

• Apollo-Ridge (48), Deer Lakes (42), Burrell (55), Derry (41), Ligonier Valley (41), Keystone Oaks (40)

• East Allegheny (40), McGuffey (43), Waynesburg (35), South Allegheny (42), Clairton (33), South Park (48)

• Greensburg Central Catholic (20), Greensburg Salem (24), Albert Gallatin (36), Yough (43), Uniontown (47)

• South Side (35), Laurel (41), Neshannock (41), Union (33), Quaker Valley (30)

League 6 (24 teams)

• Riverview (34), Leechburg (27), Valley (43), Cornell (31), Monessen (29), Jeannette (25)

• Beth-Center (29), Bentworth (27), West Greene (29), Jefferson-Morgan (35), California (NA), Avella (22)

• Fort Cherry (40), Carlynton (24), Burgettstown (NA), Chartiers-Houston (33), Brentwood (28), Serra Catholic (25)

• Freedom (32), Shenango (27), Beaver Falls (35), Mohawk (36), New Brighton (34), Northgate (31)

League 7 (9 teams)

• Frazier (30), Charleroi (38), Carmichaels (37), Mapletown (NA), Brownsville (26)

• Springdale (23), Rochester (19), Sto-Rox (28), Summit Academy (21)

Chris Harlan is a TribLive reporter covering sports. He joined the Trib in 2009 after seven years as a reporter at the Beaver County Times. He can be reached at charlan@triblive.com.

Tags: Fox Chapel