The numbers that will be used to separate Tennessee’s high schools into sports classifications for the next two years confirm what was already apparent: enrollments are shrinking.
The Tennessee Secondary School Athletic Association this week released enrollment numbers that have been reported by each of the state’s 457 public or private high schools. Those numbers will be used for reclassification purposes.
Oneida reported an enrollment of 322, while Scott High reported an enrollment of 630.
Both of those numbers are down substantially from two years ago. At that time, Oneida’s enrollment was 370 and Scott High’s was 701. Oneida’s enrollment has dropped 13.0% since then, and Scott High’s has dropped 10.1%.
Currently, Oneida participates in Class 2A in football, Class 1A in basketball, baseball and softball, and Class A in soccer.
Scott High participates in Class 3A for football, basketball, baseball and softball, and Class AA for soccer.
Although both schools have experienced decreased enrollment, it’s not clear that sports classifications will change, due most other schools also seeing decreased enrollment. That’s particularly true for Scott High, which is firmly in the middle of Class 3A. Oneida, on the other hand, is currently one of the smallest schools in the state in Class 2A for football, and one of the largest schools in the state in Class 1A for basketball, baseball and softball.
For example, Oneida’s current region opponents in football include Tellico Plains, Eagleton Academy, and Polk County. Those schools’ numbers in 2024 were 416, 451, and 435, respectively. This year, their enrollments are 386, 460, and 369. Eagleton is an exception to the rule, with a slightly increased enrollment.
Scott High’s current region opponents in football include Meigs County, McMinn Central, Austin-East, Kingston, and Sweetwater. Their new enrollments are 479, 530, 591, 612, and 572. Their old enrollments were 536, 607, 662, 618, and 570.
Under the current classification, there are 51 teams in Class 1A for football, 49 in Class 2A, 50 in Class 3A, 51 in Class 4A, 49 in Class 5A, and 50 in Class 6A.
The enrollment cutoff for Class 1A under the current system was 351. Teams smaller than Oneida in Class 2A include Houston County, Mitchell, Gordonsville, and Halls. Meanwhile, the cutoff for Class 2A under the current system was 528, and the cutoff for Class 3A was 743.
Based on the new numbers, Oneida is the 132nd-largest school in the state, while Scott High is the 272nd-largest. However, many of the schools beneath both of them in terms of enrollment do not participate in some sports.
In basketball, Oneida’s current district opponents are Coalfield, Jellico, Oliver Springs, Sunbright, and Wartburg. Scott High’s district opponents are Anderson County, Clinton, Gibbs, and Union County.
Under the current classification, there are 89 schools in Class 1A for basketball, baseball and softball, with 85 in Class 2A, 86 in Class 3A, and 86 in Class 4A.
