Texas is the center of the six-man world, and its main public-school league, the UIL, crowns two six-man state champions every season. If you follow Texas six-man, you will constantly see “Division I” and “Division II.” Here is what they mean.
Why there are two divisions
Six-man schools range from small to extremely small. A school with a hundred students and a school with a few dozen are both “six-man,” but the bigger school usually has a deeper roster. To make competition fairer, the UIL Legislative Council voted in October 2005 to add a second six-man state champion. After a survey in which most six-man superintendents supported the change, the split took effect starting with the 2006–07 school year.
How schools are sorted
- Division I is made up of the larger six-man schools by enrollment.
- Division II is made up of the smaller schools.
- When the format began, the six-man schools were split roughly in half between the two.
Districts are built from schools in the same division, so a Division II team plays a district schedule against other Division II teams. Non-district games can still cross divisions.
How the playoffs work
District results decide who reaches the playoffs, and each division has its own bracket ending with its own state championship game. When the split was first introduced, the top two teams from each district advanced. Playoff qualifiers and bracket sizes are set by the UIL and can change with each realignment, so check the current UIL football manual for the season you are following.
Realignment
The UIL redraws conferences and districts every two years based on school enrollment. A school close to the line can move between Division I and Division II, and occasionally between six-man and 11-man. Realignment day is a big date on the calendar for six-man fans because it reshapes rivalries and playoff paths.
Private schools play too
The UIL covers public schools. Many Texas private and parochial schools play six-man under other associations, such as TAPPS, which runs its own divisions and championships. When you see six-man rankings, check which association and division a team belongs to before comparing records.
Why it matters for fans
The two-division system means more teams have a realistic shot at a title, and more small towns get a December to remember. It also means rankings need context: a strong Division II team and a strong Division I team may never meet. Follow both in our rankings and schedule sections, and brush up on the basics in six-man rules explained.
Sources
- UIL Texas press release: “Six-man football districts to be divided into divisions” (November 2005)
- UIL Texas football state championship information (uiltexas.org)