The Dublin Scioto Irish will step up to Division I for the upcoming fall season, marking a significant shift for a program that last competed at the top tier in 2012.
The Ohio High School Athletic Association announced the revised 2026 region and division alignments on June 22, a realignment that reflects growing enrollments and changing district boundaries across the state.
Scioto is one of eight schools opting into Division I, joining a group that includes Austintown‑Fitch, Cleveland Heights, Elyria, Euclid, Hudson, Perrysburg and Toledo Whitmer, while several other programs shift between regions.
Coach Alex Place said the move is driven by school growth and the latest redistricting plan, noting that the Irish have embraced the challenge after a storied start that saw them claim a Division II state title in their inaugural football season back in 1995.
Statewide impact of the new divisions
The realignment also reshuffles regional assignments: Upper Arlington returns to Region 3, while teams such as Clayton Northmont and Toledo St. John’s move into Region 2, and Lebanon, Middletown and Springboro transition to Division I, Region 4.
Overall, the adjustments will bring 80 teams into Division I, up from 72, and keep 98 teams in Division II, a shift that the OHSAA says will better balance competition as the state’s high school football landscape continues to evolve.
The changes affect a broad swath of communities, from the suburbs of Dublin to the western edge of the state where Perrysburg and Toledo Whitmer will now compete in Region 2, while schools in the central region like Upper Arlington find themselves back in Region 3.
Athletic directors across Ohio are already scheduling non‑conference matchups to prepare for the new landscape, and fans are eager to see how traditional rivalries will adapt under the new geographic and divisional frameworks.