By Tom Nader

Publisher and Editor

The Ohio High School Athletic Association announced Thursday that its Board of Directors voted unanimously to expand postseason tournament divisions for both track and field and cross country.

For track and field, the divisions will expand from three to five.

For cross country, the divisions will expand from three to four.

The expansions will begin at the start of the 2025-2026 academic and athletic school year.

The OHSAA also announced that as part of the expansion, Division I will have a smaller number of teams than the other divisions.

The divisions will be split “as equally as possible,” according to the OHSAA.

The expansion follows the OHSAA’s decision to expand across other team sports, including soccer, volleyball, basketball, baseball and softball.

Over the last several years, the Ohio Association of Track and Cross Country Coaches has made several proposals for expansion.

“We have been studying expansion in track and field and cross country for quite some time, just like how we studied expanding divisions in those teams sports,” said Doug Ute, OHSAA Executive Director. “Adding divisions and decreasing the size of Division I has already brought such a positive change for those team sports, and now we have worked through the process to do that in track and field and cross country. We appreciate the dialogue with the OATCCC leadership and their assistance and patience.”