Libby, Ronan to rejoin Northwest A

The Montana High School Association executive board approved changes to enrollment ranges for the state’s sports classifications, as proposed earlier this year, expanding the Northwestern A conference and allowing a handful of Class B teams to play eight-player football next season.

The move adjusts the limits for each of the state’s classes, dropping Class AA to all schools with a two-year enrollment average of more than 779 students, Class A to all schools between 307-778 students, Class B between 108-306 students and Class C schools with enrollments below 107 students. Each class is given a 10 percent range allowing schools at the top and bottom ends of the spectrum to apply to participate in an adjoining class.

With those adjustments, the range of schools able to participate in 8- and 6-player football will also change, allowing Class B and C schools with enrollments between 65-130 students to play eight-player football and schools with fewer than 65 to play six-player football.

The change directly affects most of the schools in the Northwest, shifting Libby and Ronan into the Northwestern A conference beginning in the 2017-18 season while Frenchtown will move to the Southwest, bringing the Northwest to six schools next fall. Browning will also join the conference after an agreement in the spring, adding to Columbia Falls, Polson and Whitefish.

It is a quick return for the two schools moving up in class. Libby has only competed in Class B since 2015 and Ronan since 2011.

Bigfork, which has competed in Class B since 2008, will be on the top end of the class under the new ranges and may have to move up to Class A for all sports except football beginning in 2019.

How the new classification will impact divisional tournaments remains to be seen. The MHSA will discuss that at its January meeting.