Several state championship programs were shuffled to new postseason homes by the Minnesota State High School League's most recent reclassification process.
Osseo, Minneapolis North and St. Michael-Albertville football, Blake girls' hockey and boys' tennis and Simley wrestling moved either up or down in class for the 2017-18 and 2018-19 school years.
Every two years the MSHSL reclassifies teams based on enrollment. Section placement is based on geography. Schools can opt-up based on program strength or petition down if at least 50 percent of their students qualify for free and reduced lunch.
Fewer than 10 percent of approximately 8,000 teams in the MSHSL changed class or section. While success is not a factor, several programs on the move recently won state titles or are traditionally strong programs.
Osseo, the 2015 Prep Bowl champions among the largest schools by enrollment in Class 6A, will play in Class 5A the next two seasons. The Orioles join Elk River, defending 5A champions, in Section 6.
Leaving 5A, meanwhile, are both 2015 Prep Bowl winners St. Michael-Albertville and runner-up St. Thomas Academy. The Knights join the 32-team Class 6A while the Cadets drop to 4A.
Minneapolis North, Class 1A Prep Bowl champions last fall, moves to Class 2A. The Polars also made the jump to 2A in boys' basketball but will not share a section with budding power Minnehaha Academy.
In boys' hockey, two-time defending champion Hermantown remains in Class 1A while runner-up Monticello/Annandale/Maple Lake got placed in Class 2A, Section 8.
