Lower Richland’s appeal for athletic region switch denied. Here’s what’s next

Lower Richland was denied its appeal regarding a new region placement for the upcoming realignment.

The South Carolina High School League’s Class 4A executive committee voted 5-2 on Thursday against Lower Richland’s appeal to move from Region 5-4A to Region 3-4A.

Lower Richland, which is moving up to Class 4A, was assigned to Region 5-4A with Sumter County schools Crestwood and Lakewood as well as Florence and Darlington County schools Darlington, Hartsville, South Florence and Wilson.

LR wants to move to Region 3-4A, which includes fellow Richland County schools A.C. Flora, Dreher and Richland Northeast as well as Camden, Lancaster, South Pointe and York.

Lower Richland athletic director Liz Still said the school intends to appeal that decision with the S.C. High School League’s Executive committee. If that gets denied, they can still take their case to the league’s appellate panel.

LR’s appeal is one of the final parts of the process of realignment for 2024-26. Realignment happens in the state every two years, shifts teams up or down in classification and is done to level the competitive playing field among schools.

One of the biggest reasons for Lower Richland’s appeal was the travel time associated with the proposed region. Lower Richland officials also cited the fact they are the only Richland County school in the region, making it difficult with other schools operating on different calendars as far as spring breaks and holidays.

Still said the shortest trip for a game is 42 minutes, and the longest one is an hour and 25 minutes. The longer travel time might hurt with junior varsity and B teams because some of those kids come from middle school, which dismisses 30 minutes later than high school.

“Biggest fear is we are going to lose participation with our younger kids,” Lower Richland assistant principal Mitchell Moten said during the meeting. “We are losing money getting to these places, and our fear is our younger and feeder program will be eradicated.”

Lower Richland was the lone school in South Carolina to appeal its region placement. That’s a big difference from the 22 schools that appealed their classification placement last month.

Region 3-4A and and 5-4A members voted against having Lower Richland switching where it competes.

“While travel can be an issue, there is no one going to come in and replace you,” a committee member said.

SC athletic regions for 2024-26

Here are the SCHSL’s proposed regions for the upcoming realignment for 2024-26 school years

Class 5A

Region 1: Easley, Greenville, Greenwood, Hillcrest, JL Mann, Mauldin, TL Hanna Woodmont

Region 2: Boiling Springs, Dorman, Eastside, Gaffney, Byrnes, Riverside, Spartanburg, Wade Hampton

Region 3: Catawba Ridge, Clover, Fort Mill, Indian Land, Nation Ford, Northwestern, Rock Hill

Region 4: Chapin, Dutch Fork, Irmo, Lexington, River Bluff, White Knoll

Region 5: Blythewood, Lugoff-Elgin, Ridge View, Spring Valley, Sumter, Westwood, West Florence

Region 6: Carolina Forest, Conway, Myrtle Beach, North Myrtle Beach, Socastee, St. James

Region 7: Berkeley, Cane Bay, Goose Creek, Lucy Beckham, Stratford, Wando

Region 8: Ashley Ridge, Fort Dorchester, James Island, Stall, Summerville, West Ashley

Class 4A

Region 1: Emerald, Fountain Inn, Laurens, Southside, Westside, Wren

Region 2: Berea, Blue Ridge, Daniel, Greer, Pickens, Seneca, Travelers Rest

Region 3: AC Flora, Camden, Dreher, Lancaster, Richland Northeast, South Pointe, York

Region 4: Aiken, Airport, Brookland-Cayce, Gilbert, Gray Collegiate, Midland Valley, North Augusta, South Aiken

Region 5: Crestwood, Darlington, Hartsville, Lakewood, Lower Richland, South Florence, Wilson

Region 6: Beaufort, Bishop England, Bluffton, Colleton County, Hilton Head Island, May River

Class 3A

Region 1: BHP, Crescent, Pendleton, Walhalla, West-Oak

Region 2: Carolina Academy, Christ Church, Palmetto, Powdersville, Southside Christian, St. Joseph’s

Region 3: Broome, Chapman, x-Greer MC, Mountain View, Union County, Woodruff

Region 4: Fox Creek, Keenan, Newberry, Silver Bluff, Swansea

Region 5: Aynor, Dillon Georgetown, Loris, Marlboro County, Waccamaw

Region 6: Battery Creek, Hanahan, North Charleston, Oceanside Collegiate, Orangeburg-Wilkinson

Class 2A

Region 1: Blacksburg, x-Brashier MC, Chesnee, x-Greenville Tech, x-High Point, Academy, Landrum, Liberty, Clinton (football only)

Region 2: American Leadership, Batesburg-Leesville, Ninety-Six, Pelion, Saluda, Strom Thurmond

Region 3: Chester, Clinton, Columbia, Eau Claire, Fairfield Central, Mid-Carolina

Region 4: Andrew Jackson, Buford, Central, Cheraw, Chesterfield, North Central, x-York Prep

Region 5: Barnwell, x-Bridges Prep, Edisto, Hampton, County, Lake Marion, Whale Branch

Region 6: Academic Magnet, Andrews, Burke, Philip Simmons, Timberland, Woodland

Region 7: Atlantic Collegiate, East Clarendon, Kingstree, Lake City, Manning, Marion, Mullins

Class A

Region 1: Abbeville, Calhoun Falls, Dixie, x-GREEN Upstate, McCormick, x-SC Deaf and Blind, Thornwell, Ware Shoals, Whitmire

Region 2: CA Johnson, x-The Governor’s School, Great Falls, Lamar, Lee Central, Lewisville, McBee, x-Midlands STEM, x-Riverwalk

Region 3: Blackville Hilda, Calhoun County, Hunter-Kinard Tyler, x-Horse Creek Academy, North, Ridge Spring Monetta, Wagener-Salley, Williston-Elko

Region 4: Allendale-Fairfax, Bamberg-Ehrhardt, Denmark-Olar, Hardeeville, x-Polaris Tech, Ridgeland, x-Royal Live Oaks

Region 5: Baptist Hill, Bethune Bowman, Branchville, x-Charleston M&S, Cross, x-Lowcountry Leadership, Military Magnet, x-Palmetto Scholars, Scott’s Branch, St. John’s

Region 6: Carvers Bay, Green Sea-Floyds, Hannah-Pamplico, Hemingway, Johnsonville, Lake View Latta

x-Doesn’t have a football team