Changing Times: NMAA releases new districts for 2026-28 seasons

ALBUQUERQUE — ‘Tis the season for realignment.

Via the NMAA’s Board of Directors meeting on Thursday morning, the association’s biyearly regrouping of districts was released, set to run from fall 2026 to 2028.

Here is how it unfolded for the Observer’s big three:

Football

6A, District 1

Cleveland, Rio Rancho, Albuquerque High, Atrisco Heritage, Farmington, La Cueva, Sandia, West Mesa

Cutting the districts down from three to two, District One is starting to feel crowded as it grows from six schools to eight.

Five new schools are joining the Storm and Rams, with the only familiar face being the Farmington Scorpions.

The biggest addition of them all is the La Cueva Bears, a usual name in the championship conversation and a program with some history in the City of Vision. Cleveland and La Cueva have met in the state title game four times, splitting the meetings 2-2. For Rio Rancho, they hold a 5-2 record against the Bears, including a double overtime win in the 2021 playoffs on the way to a state championship appearance.

Now, they will be battling for the same district championship.

Exiting the district are Cibola, Piedra Vista and Volcano Vista. The Cougars and Panthers are headed down a level to 5A, with Cibola coming off a big turnaround season that included giving the Storm and Rams competitive fights.

For Volcano Vista, though, they will be heading to District 2 of the 6A class in a move that has a lot of people scratching their heads.

Classes are decided by school enrollment size, not location. That is likely why six of the Hawks’ seven new opponents are all three hours away or more. Eldorado High finds itself in the same situation as Volcano.

But this isn’t some form of punishment for VV, but instead a solution. NMAA Sports Information Director JP Murrieta said on ESPN 101.7 FM that the decision process was largely influenced by non-district scheduling struggles across the programs. Now with larger districts, there will be fewer non-district games to worry about.

Murrieta also stated that this is not a blindside move to these schools, with the NMAA reaching out and discussing them with Volcano, Eldorado and Albuquerque Public Schools.

Long bus rides aside, Volcano’s exit takes away a big player in the District 1 race, with both Rio Rancho and Cleveland playing meaningful games against them in late October with district implications on the line.

Now with two 6A “mega districts,” next year should be a fun one for the Rams and Storm.

4A, District 1Bernalillo, Bloomfield, Del Norte, Espanola Valley, Manzano, Rio Grande, Taos, Valley

Did the Spartans get the luck of the draw? Depends on how you look at it. Four teams finished in front of Bernalillo in this season’s district standings, and now two of them are gone.

Moriarty and Grants have exited District 1, with the Pirates headed to District 2 and the Pintos dropping down to 3A.

But that does not mean District 1 is now a cakewalk. If anything, it may be tougher as 4A state champion Bloomfield returns to the district, along with final-four finisher Taos.

On top of the usual suspects, former 5A teams Del Norte, Rio Grande and Valley will be joining 1-4A. Valley played the Spartans tough in this year’s season opener, with Bernalillo escaping 16-14.

The one former District 2 program making the jump across the pond will be Manzano, the Spartans’ first-round playoff opponent from this season. Bernalillo won that matchup 31-28 in a thriller on Spartan Drive, with the next face off between the two set to be a district clash.

For what 1-4A lost, it gained right back. Bernalillo should be in for some fun matchups next season.

Other programsSo, what about the other sports?

This is what the NMAA has done for 2026-28 basketball, usually the blueprint for the rest of the programs as well.

5A, District 1Cleveland, Rio Rancho, Farmington, Piedra Vista, Volcano Vista

1-5A’s lone change is the exit of Cibola. The Cougars will no longer be making in-district visits. Fifteen minutes up the road to RRHS or CHS, they will be playing in District 2.

4A, District 5Bernalillo, Del Norte, Highland, Manzano, St. Pius, Valley

Bernalillo, Valley and Del Norte join St. Pius and Highland, moving from District 6 to 5. Manzano makes the move down to 4A for hoops to round out the six-team district, the biggest district in the 4A class.

Will Cleveland continue its dominance in a heavier district? Will Rio Rancho find a way back to the top? Can Bernalillo handle the new competition?

Only time will tell.