A new competitive landscape
The Colorado High School Activities Association has announced a sweeping realignment that will take effect for the 2026 football season. Alamosa High School, long accustomed to the 2A Intermountain League, will now compete in the 2A Tri‑Peaks League, a move that shortens travel distances and restores matchups with longtime rivals such as La Junta and Lamar.
The new league also welcomes Banning Lewis Academy, Florence High, Manitou Springs and Woodland Park, creating a geographically tighter slate of games. Meanwhile, schools like Monte Vista and Centauri High have been placed in the 1A Southern League, and several programs have dropped to eight‑man or six‑man formats to accommodate enrollment changes.
Rivalries revived as travel eases
For Alamosa, the realignment means a return to familiar battlegrounds. The team will traverse La Veta Pass and the I‑25 corridor to meet La Junta and Lamar, contests that historically have drawn large local crowds. Athletic Director Rick Lovato said the new schedule eliminates the lengthy journeys that characterized the previous Western Slope League, allowing more time for practice and community engagement.
Smaller programs adjust to new formats
Center High School’s decision to move to eight‑man football has placed it in the Big 6 Southern League alongside Sierra Grande and a combined Sargent/Sangre de Cristo team. Antonito and Mountain Valley will contest a six‑man circuit in the South West League, reflecting a broader trend of adapting the sport to declining participation numbers while preserving competitive balance.