Eighth Region realignment plan on hold as KHSAA board asks officials to try again
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LEXINGTON — It’s back to the drawing board for Eighth Region administrators, who’ve been told to “try again” on the issue of realignment.
That was the decision made Thursday after the Kentucky High School Athletic Association’s Board of Control received feedback from several Eighth Region officials.
In September, the Eighth Region voted 13-6 in favor of a plan that would move Collins High School from the 30th District to the 29th District and Gallatin County from the 31st District to the 32nd District.
That decision was made in an attempt to balance the number of schools in each district, as the 29th currently has just three schools and the 30th and 31st both have six.
“If the powers that be want us to try and tackle this again, we will,” said Mike Marksbury, the athletics director at Spencer County and president of the Eighth Region Athletics Directors Association.
Several KHSAA board members expressed concern about the Eighth Region’s meeting in September, pointing out there was no record of how each school voted.
“There are people who voted one way and are telling board members they voted the other way,” said KHSAA commissioner Julian Tackett. “The numbers don’t match.”
Tackett advised Eighth Region officials to come up with another proposal before the next Board of Control meeting scheduled for Jan. 15.
If Eighth Region officials are unable to come up with a two-thirds consensus, the KHSAA could take care of a realignment plan itself.
Marksbury said several Eighth Region schools want to add at least one school to the 29th District that includes North Oldham, Oldham County and South Oldham. Because there are only three teams in the district, the regular-season champion automatically has a spot in the Eighth Region Tournament.
“It’s a competitive advantage to only have three teams,” Marksbury said.
Woodford County moved from the 11th Region to the Eighth Region in 2019 and was placed in the 30th District. Trimble County switched from the 29th District to the 31st in 2020 in a move that was approved by all schools affected. And most recently, Cornerstone Christian — a new school located in Shelbyville — was placed in the 30th District given its proximity to Collins and Shelby County.
Collins athletics director Kate Tucker said she did not want to see her school move to the 29th District and leave behind two other schools in her county — Cornerstone Christian and Shelby County.
Tucker said she was under the impression prior to Thursday’s meeting that the KHSAA was mandating the Eighth Region add at least one team to the 29th District.
“If we as a group are OK with the three-team district and we as a group are OK with the six-team districts, it sounds like whatever we think is best is what (the KHSAA) is going to think is best,” Tucker said. “I did not have that clarity when we went into the ADs meeting (in September).”
Also Thursday, the board voted down a proposal — a 13-3 vote — by Frankfort to move from the 11th Region to the Eighth Region.
Frankfort superintendent Sheri Satterly said the Eighth Region is a better fit geographically for her school and the move would save money on travel costs.
“The amount of money we’re spending on bus drivers is insane,” Satterly said.
Frankfort will remain in the 41st District with Frankfort Christian, Franklin County, Great Crossing and Western Hills.
In other news from Thursday’s meeting:
* The Seventh Region approved a super-regional format for baseball and softball tournaments in 2026. The move eliminates district tournaments.
The Sixth Region already has gone to super-regional formats for soccer, volleyball, baseball and softball.
* The board voted to begin collecting data for a possible three-year trial run on adding classes for boys and girls soccer.
There is no timetable for when classes would be introduced. Football, cross country and track and field are the only KHSAA sports that currently have classes.
* Because of a conflict with the 2026 Breeders’ Cup, the KHSAA will consider either a new site or a new date for next year’s cross country state championships.
The cross country championships traditionally are held at the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington. Next year’s Breeders’ Cup is set for Oct. 30-31 at Keeneland.
Jason Frakes: 502-582-4046; jfrakes@courier-journal.com; Follow on X @kyhighs.
This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: KHSAA realignment plan update for 8th Region, Collins High School
