Colorado high school football has new conferences for 2026-27 seasons

Colorado high school football has new conferences for the 2026 season.

The CHSAA legislative council approved adjusted conference formats in a February council session.

The biggest change?

Football conferences for the 2026-27 seasons can include teams from different classifications. That matches how other sports have been allowed to build their leagues in recent years.

Larger conferences are also more prominent, with leagues of seven or eight teams now common. No Colorado 11-man football conferences were larger than six schools during the previous CHSAA cycle (2024-26).

Here are the new Colorado high school football conferences for the 2026 and 2027 seasons:

Colorado Class 5A football conferences

5A Southwest Metro League: Arvada West, Chatfield, Columbine (4A), Mountain Vista, Ralston Valley, Rock Canyon, ThunderRidge.

5A Front Range League: Erie, Fairview, Fort Collins, Fossil Ridge, Legacy, Riverdale Ridge, Rocky Mountain.

5A Southern League: Castle View, Fountain-Fort Carson, Heritage, Legend, Pine Creek, Regis Jesuit, Valor Christian.

5A Centennial League: Arapahoe, Cherokee Trail, Cherry Creek, Eaglecrest, Grandview, Mullen, Northfield.

Colorado 4A football conferences

4A Front Range League: Bear Creek, Boulder (5A), Centaurus, Dakota Ridge, Golden, Monarch, Mountain Range (5A), Westminster (5A).

4A Metro 7 League: Aurora Central, Denver North, Gateway, George Washington, Lakewood, Northglenn (5A), Thomas Jefferson.

4A PPWC League: Air Academy, Lutheran, Montrose, Palmer Ridge (3A), Rampart, Sand Creek, Vista Ridge.

4A Mountain Plains League: Cheyenne Mountain, Coronado, Doherty, Durango, Mesa Ridge, Pueblo West, Widefield.

4A South Metro League: Chaparral (5A), Douglas County, Highlands Ranch, Horizon (5A), Overland (5A), Ponderosa, Smoky Hill (5A), Vista Peak Prep (5A).

4A Northern League: Frederick, Grand Junction (5A), Greeley West, Longmont, Loveland, Northridge, Poudre, Roosevelt.

4A League G: Brighton (5A), Broomfield, Denver East (5A), Denver South (5A), Fruita Monument, Montbello, Prairie View (5A), Rangeview (5A).

Colorado 3A football conferences

3A Foothills League: Conifer, Evergreen, Green Mountain, Kent Denver, Pomona, Standley Lake, Wheat Ridge.

3A Western Slope League: Eagle Valley, Glenwood Springs, Grand Junction Central (4A), Palisade, Rifle, Steamboat Springs, Summit.

3A South Central League: Canon City, Discovery Canyon, Falcon, Lewis-Palmer, Liberty, Pueblo Central, Pueblo County, Pueblo East, Pueblo South.

3A League D: Fort Morgan, Holy Family, Mead, Niwot (4A), Silver Creek, Skyview, Timnath.

3A Cache la Poudre League: Berthoud, Greeley Central, Mountain View, Severance, Skyline, Thompson Valley, Windsor.

3A Front Range League: Adams City, Arvada, Harrison, Littleton, Palmer, Pueblo Centennial, Sierra, Thornton.

Colorado 2A football conferences

2A Western Slope League: Aspen, Basalt, Coal Ridge, Delta, Gunnison, Montezuma-Cortez, Pagosa Springs.

2A Metro League: D'Evelyn, Denver West, Elizabeth, Forge Christian, Strasburg, The Classical Academy.

2A Patriot League: Brush, Eaton, Resurrection Christian, Sterling, University, Wellington.

2A Crossroads League: Englewood, Fort Lupton, Kennedy, Manual, Prospect Ridge Academy, The Academy, Weld Central.

2A Tri-Peaks League: Alamosa, Banning Lewis Academy, Florence, La Junta, Lamar, Manitou Springs, Woodland Park.

Colorado football independents

• Class 3A: Battle Mountain, Hinkley, Mitchell
• Class 2A: Lincoln
• Class 1A: Jefferson, Peyton, Sheridan

Colorado 1A football conferences

1A Western Slope League: Cedaredge, Grand Valley, Meeker, Moffat County, North Fork, Olathe, Roaring Fork.

1A Southern League: Bayfield (2A), Buena Vista, Centauri, Ignacio, Monte Vista, Rye, Trinidad.

1A Big Northern League: Dayspring Christian Academy, Highland, Holyoke, Platte Valley, Wiggins, Wray, Yuma.

1A Front Range League: Alameda (2A), Denver Christian, Flatirons Academy, Middle Park (2A), Platte Canyon, The Pinnacle, Valley.

1A South Central League: Bennett, Burlington, Byers, Colorado Springs Christian, Ellicott, Limon, Salida.

Congratulations to Limon for winning CHSAA’s 2023 2A Boys Football State Championship. It’s their 2nd-straight football state title and their 22nd overall (most of any CHSAA football program)

Congratulations, also, to Strasburg for finishing as the 1A runner-up! pic.twitter.com/PI1p6jspmW

— CHSAA (@CHSAA) November 25, 2023Colorado 8-man football conferences

8-man Arkansas Valley League: Fowler, Holly, Las Animas, McClave, Rocky Ford (1A), Springfield, Swink.

8-man Big 6 Southern League: Center, Custer County, Hoehne, Sargent/Sangre de Cristo, Sierra Grande, Walsenburg.

8-man Mountain League: Del Norte, Dolores, Dove Creek, Mancos, Norwood, Sanford.

8-man Plains League: Akron, Clear Creek, Haxtun, Merino, Sedgwick County, Stratton.

8-man Black Forest League: Calhan, Crowley County, Elbert, Monument Academy, Simla, St. Mary's.

8-man Western Slope League: Hayden, Lake County, Plateau Valley, Rangely, Soroco, Vail Christian, West Grand.

8-man Central League: Estes Park, Front Range Christian, Gilpin County, Justice, Lyons, South Park.

Colorado 6-man football conferences

6-man East Central League: Bethune, Deer Trail, Flagler, Idalia, Kiowa, Otis, Washington County.

6-man North League: Briggsdale, Caliche, Fleming, North Park, Peetz, Prairie, Weldon Valley.

6-man South East League: Cheraw, Cheyenne Wells, Eads, Granada, Manzanola, Walsh, Wiley.

6-man South West League: Antonito, Branson/Kim, Cotopaxi, Hanover, La Veta, Miami-Yoder, Mountain Valley, Primero.

Chris Abshire covers high school and community sports for the Coloradoan.

This article originally appeared on Fort Collins Coloradoan: Colorado high school football has new conferences for 2026-27 seasons