OHSAA will introduce cross-country and track & field divisions for the 2025–2026 academic year…

COLUMBUS, Ohio The Ohio High School Athletic Association announced Thursday afternoon the expansion of postseason tournament divisions in track and field and cross country.

The OHSAA Board of Directors voted unanimously Thursday morning for the expansion, which takes effect starting in the 2025-26 school year.

Track and field will add two divisions, expanding from three divisions to five, while cross country will add one division, expanding from three divisions to four.

As part of the expansion, Division I will have a smaller number of teams than the other divisions. The number of schools in the other divisions will be divided as equally as possible, the OHSAA said in a release.

In the current three-division format for both sports, the number of schools in each division is divided as equally as possible.

The expansion for track and field and cross country follows the OHSAA’s recent expansion in several team sports, including basketball, baseball, soccer, softball and girls volleyball.

The OHSAA said the Ohio Association of Track and Cross Country Coaches (OATCCC) have made several proposals for expansion over the past several years.

“We have been studying expansion in track and field and cross country for quite some time, just like how we studied expanding divisions in those teams sports,” said OHSAA Executive Director Doug Ute said in a statement. “Adding divisions and decreasing the size of Division I has already brought such a positive change for those team sports, and now we have worked through the process to do that in track and field and cross country. We appreciate the dialogue with the OATCCC leadership and their assistance and patience.”

Details and tournament format information will be announced when the board approves the tournament regulations several months before each tournament.

This season’s outdoor track and field begins March 29. Cross country is a fall sports in Ohio.