Notable changes to the 2024-25, 2025-26 WPIAL boys basketball alignment

By: Bill Hartlep
Monday, August 12, 2024 | 9:23 AM

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The WPIAL released new section alignments for the next two-year cycle in all sports, and changes will be implemented starting this fall.

This summer, the Tribune-Review will break down changes for each of the WPIAL sports.

Here’s a look at the upcoming WPIAL boys basketball season:

2023-24 WPIAL champions

Class 6A: Upper St. Clair

Class 5A: Moon

Class 4A: Lincoln Park

Class 3A: Deer Lakes

Class 2A: Aliquippa

Class A: Imani Christian

Notable changes

• The most notable changes in WPIAL boys basketball alignment for the coming two-year cycle involved four of the defending district champions.

Lincoln Park moved up from Class 4A to 5A, Deer Lakes from 3A to 4A, Aliquippa from 2A to 3A and Imani Christian, which voluntarily jumped from Class A all the way to 6A. All four had won back-to-back championships.

Lincoln Park was pushed to Class 5A by the PIAA competitive-balance rule, and enrollment numbers moved up the two others.

• The highest classification expanded from 12 to 16 teams. The addition of Fox Chapel, North Hills, Connellsville, Woodland Hills and Imani Christian gave the WPIAL 16 boys teams in Class 6A, which the basketball committee chose to divide into two eight-team sections. Central Catholic moved over from Section 1 to 2.

• Class 5A gained five teams and now has 29 across four sections. Albert Gallatin, Laurel Highlands and Uniontown (Section 1), Hampton and Indiana (Section 2) and Blackhawk, Lincoln Park and Montour (Section 4) moved up in class.

Baldwin dropped from 6A and joins Section 3, which will include fellow southern schools from different sections.

Section 1 will house mostly eastern schools, as Franklin Regional, Gateway, Latrobe and McKeesport stay together. Kiski Area moved to Section 2.

• Class 4A lost five teams and switched from four sections to three.

Burrell, Deer Lakes and Valley moved up from 2A and joined fellow A-K Valley rivals Freeport, Highlands and Knoch, as well as North Catholic in Section 1.

Derry and Yough bumped up a class and will be in Section 3, along with East Allegheny and Greensburg Salem, which moved over from Section 4 and 1, respectively. Avonworth and Quaker Valley moved from the defunct Section 4 into Section 2.

• Class 3A is down three teams from the past cycle and includes 25 now. Aliquippa (Section 1), Bishop Canevin and Carlynton (Section 2) moved up from Class 2A.

Section 3 is mostly new with the addition of South Allegheny, which dropped from 4A, as well as Seton LaSalle, South Park and Steel Valley, which moved over from Section 2. Southmoreland dropped from 4A to join Section 4-3A, and Ligonier Valley came over from Section 3.

• Five teams added to Class 2A brings the classification to 31 teams. California (Section 1), Jefferson-Morgan, Mapletown and West Greene (Section 3) and Rochester, Union and Western Beaver (Section 4) all moved up from Class A.

Brentwood (Section 2), Neshannock and OLSH (Section 4) dropped a class.

Section 1 is all new as Bentworth, Clairton, Frazier, Greensburg Central Catholic, Jeannette, Riverview and Springdale moved over.

Leechburg, Northgate and Sewickley Academy moved into Section 2.

Section 3 also is all new with Beth-Center, Burgettstown, Carmichaels, Chartiers-Houston and Fort Cherry competing with the three newcomers.

In Section 4, Laurel, Shenango and South Side move over from Section 1.

• Class A shrunk from 18 teams to 12 and will move from three sections to two.

Nazareth Prep (Section 1) and Serra Catholic (Section 2) moved down in class.

Also, Aquinas Academy and Summit Academy moved into Section 1 from the defunct Section 3.

In and out

• Beaver County Christian and Environmental Charter will play WPIAL schedules in Class A this season.

• Propel Montour and Hillel Academy were not placed in WPIAL sections for the next two-year cycle. Propel Montour (4-15) was in Class 2A last season, and Hillel (7-10) was in Class A.

Key dates

Nov. 15: First practice date

Nov. 23: First scrimmage date

Nov. 29: First play date

Dec. 12-13: First section dates

Feb. 10: WPIAL pairings meeting

Feb. 27-March 1: WPIAL championships

March 27-29: PIAA championships

2024-25, 2025-26 alignment

Class 6A (16 teams)

Section 1: Butler, Fox Chapel, New Castle, North Allegheny, North Hills, Pine-Richland, Seneca Valley, Woodland Hills

Section 2: Canon-McMillan, Central Catholic, Connellsville, Hempfield, Imani Christian, Mt. Lebanon, Norwin, Upper St. Clair

Class 5A (29 teams)

Section 1: Albert Gallatin, Franklin Regional, Gateway, Latrobe, Laurel Highlands, McKeesport, Penn-Trafford, Uniontown

Section 2: Armstrong, Hampton, Indiana, Kiski Area, Penn Hills, Plum, Shaler

Section 3: Baldwin, Bethel Park, Peters Township, Ringgold, South Fayette, Thomas Jefferson, Trinity

Section 4: Blackhawk, Chartiers Valley, Lincoln Park, Mars, Montour, Moon, West Allegheny

Class 4A (20 teams)

Section 1: Burrell, Deer Lakes, Freeport, Highlands, Knoch, North Catholic, Valley

Section 2: Ambridge, Avonworth, Beaver, Central Valley, Hopewell, Quaker Valley

Section 3: Belle Vernon, Derry, East Allegheny, Elizabeth Forward, Greensburg Salem, West Mifflin, Yough

Class 3A (25 teams)

Section 1: Aliquippa, Beaver Falls, Ellwood City, Freedom, Mohawk, New Brighton, Riverside

Section 2: Bishop Canevin, Carlynton, Keystone Oaks, McGuffey, Sto-Rox, Washington

Section 3: Apollo-Ridge, Seton LaSalle, Shady Side Academy, South Allegheny, South Park, Steel Valley

Section 4: Brownsville, Charleroi, Ligonier Valley, Mt. Pleasant, Southmoreland, Waynesburg

Class 2A (31 teams)

Section 1: Bentworth, California, Clairton, Frazier, Greensburg Central Catholic, Jeannette, Riverview, Springdale

Section 2: Brentwood, Eden Christian, Leechburg, Northgate, Propel Braddock Hills, Sewickley Academy, Winchester Thurston

Section 3: Beth-Center, Burgettstown, Carmichaels, Chartiers-Houston, Fort Cherry, Jefferson-Morgan, Mapletown, West Greene

Section 4: Laurel, Neshannock, Our Lady of the Sacred Heart, Rochester, Shenango, South Side, Union, Western Beaver

Class A (12 teams)

Section 1: Aquinas Academy, Avella, Beaver County Christian, Cornell, Nazareth Prep, Summit Academy

Section 2: Environmental Charter, Geibel, Monessen, Neighborhood Academy, Serra Catholic, St. Joseph

Bill Hartlep is the TribLive sports editor. A Pittsburgh native and Point Park graduate, he joined the Trib in 2004, covering high school sports. He held various editing roles before assuming his current position in 2019. He can be reached at bhartlep@triblive.com.

Tags: Aliquippa, Deer Lakes, Imani Christian, Lincoln Park