New UIL alignments to move Melissa to 5A-Division 2
Legacy Yearbook Staff
Melissa’s Ashton Mitchell-Johnson (12) carries the ball as Corbin Poston (9) chases during a State Quarterfinal game against Stephenville High School on Friday, Dec. 3, 2021 at Pennington Stadium in Bedford. Stephenviille won the game 24-21 to advance in the playoffs. (Photo by Kevin Bartram/buzzphotos.com)
January 13, 2022
With Melissa ISD growing as rapidly as it has over the past 10 years, it should come as no surprise that they have made their way into the 5A alignment that the University Interscholastic League (UIL) sets. Come February 3, 2022, the UIL will release new official alignments for every school in Texas.
The UIL cutoff for how many students a 4A school can have is 1,229, and Melissa High School has exceeded that limit by approximately 100, making them one of the smallest 5A schools in the state come next school year; therefore, they will be placed in 5A-Division 2.
Moving with them to 5A-Division 2 is their rival, Argyle ISD. So, it looks like the years-long rivalry will continue into the next conference. Not coming with them to 5A will be schools that they’ve been playing for years such as Celina and their neighbor Anna.
While many Melissa residents fear this transition because of the competition that the high school will face next year, this change provides a great opportunity to take the athletics, academics, and arts programs to the next level because of all of the opportunities that will come with being a 5A school.
