Photo courtesy of God’s Gifts Photography
The OSAA executive board approved special districts for the 2025 football season at its meeting in Wilsonville Monday.
Although the changes affecting Basin teams aren’t as significant as last year–when three programs moved to different classifications–some will have a different set of league opponents this season, altering their path to the playoffs.
Here’s an overview of the changes and what they’ll mean for those impacted.
1A[8] expands from 3 special districts to 4
With three six-player squads (Echo, Pine Eagle and Prairie City/Burnt River) moving up to eight-player football, the 1A[8] classification grew to 25 teams, prompting the creation of another special district. The resulting realignment shrank Special District 1, which hosts Crosspoint Christian and Chiloquin, from nine teams to six.
The departures from SD1 are highly notable: 2024 champion North Douglas, third-place Mohawk and fifth-place Yoncalla. North Douglas handed Crosspoint Christian its only regular season loss to claim the SD1 title; it and Mohawk changing leagues leaves the Warriors (who graduated just two seniors) as clear favorites to win the program’s first league championship.
Additionally, SD1’s reduced size means its members now have openings for four non-league games instead of one. This should allow programs like Chiloquin–which had to face four playoff teams in SD1 play last season with a roster of 65% underclassmen–to create a more balanced schedule.
The addition of another special district necessitated adjustments to the 1A[8] playoff allocations. Going forward, each league will receive two automatic bids, with four at-large bids filling out the rest of the 12-team bracket. Previously, each league received three autobids, and there were three at-large bids available.
2A reshuffles special districts after inter-classification movement
The 2A classification added four teams and lost two (giving it a total of 40); 2024 playoff teams Salem Academy and Gervais (a semifinalist) moved up to 3A, Rainier, Harrisburg and St. Mary’s Medford moved down from 3A, and Santiam is returning after playing a JV schedule last season.
In the subsequent league readjustments, Special District 5, which hosts Bonanza and Lost River, added two teams (Illinois Valley and St. Mary’s Medford) and lost three (Lowell, Glide and Oakridge), reducing it from seven members to six.
Illinois Valley traveled to Bonanza for a Week 1 matchup last season and dealt the Antlers a loss. The Cougars went on to finish third in Special District 4 and did not make the playoffs. Along with Rainier and Harrisburg, St. Mary’s Medford met the OSAA criteria to play down a classification after winning less than 22% of its games against other 3A teams over the past two seasons. The Crusaders, who were previously in 3A Special District 5 with Klamath Union, forfeited their last three games of 2024 due to a lack of available players (3A SD5 did not lose or add any other teams, putting it at five members; Klamath Union and the other four will now have slots for five non-league games).
Lowell, which finished third in 2A SD5 and made the playoffs, was the only departing team to post a winning record last season. The Red Devils beat Bonanza at home and lost at Lost River. The Antlers and Raiders both beat Glide and Oakridge, which finished a respective fifth and seventh.
Losing a perennial playoff team in Lowell will likely weaken SD5, which means Lost River and Bonanza’s games against defending league champion Culver–and each other–will carry additional weight. However, gaining a fourth non-league game will offer both programs more space to build a suitably challenging schedule.
There were no changes to the 2A playoff allocations; automatic bids will still be given to the top two teams in each special district, with four at-large bids rounding out the 16-team bracket.
