Decades of league history could come to an end in San Joaquin County.
The 2028-32 CIF Sac-Joaquin Section Realignment Proposal was revealed on Thursday morning, Sept. 3, and two longtime leagues would disappear as part of a major shakeup beginning in 2028.
The San Joaquin Athletic Association, founded in 1972, would end. Chavez, Stagg, McNair, Weston Ranch, Bear Creek and Franklin are full members; Edison is a member for every sport except football and Merrill West competes in only football.
Those schools would join the Tri-City Athletic League, currently home to St. Mary’s, Lincoln, Kimball, Lodi and Tracy. Edison already competes in the TCAL for football, while Merrill West is a member for all other sports except football.
And there would be another major addition to the TCAL.
Manteca would make the jump from the Valley Oak League as part of the proposed realignment.
The Trans Valley League would meet the same fate. Founded in 1959, the league currently includes Escalon, Ripon and Ripon Christian.
Escalon and Ripon would head to the Valley Oak League, while Ripon Christian would join the Central California Conference.
Conference transitions wouldn't be the only structural change coming under the proposal.
A new two-tier system would also be introduced, with Capital and Valley operating under the same overall league. Capital would serve as the higher of the two tiers.
“The tiers are designed to provide appropriate competitive placement while league governance and representation remain unified,” assistant commissioner Jeff Lorenson said.
So what could San Joaquin County's new league landscape look like? Here are the CIF Sac-Joaquin Section South proposed leagues, how the decisions were made and what comes next.
How these decisions were made?
Assistant commissioner Jeff Lorenson said the section used three primary categories when determining where schools could fit, starting with competitive equity.
That included each team’s league finish over the past two years, section playoff performance over the past two years and SJS score over the past three years.
The scope of each school’s athletic program was the second piece. The section considered the diversity and number of athletic opportunities offered, along with how a school could affect or be affected by others in its proposed league.
Enrollment was the third, with both current numbers and future projections considered.
From there, the section turned to secondary criteria, including the desires of a school, district and/or league. Travel distance was among the considerations.
“One of the most important parts of the process was making sure we looked at each school through more than just one lens,” assistant commissioner Jason Feuerbach said. “That’s why we used several data to help us better understand competitive strength, postseason success, league performance, enrollment, growth, and the overall scope of each school’s athletic program.”
The section also created its own data points.
For football, the SJS football score was calculated by averaging each school’s final MaxPreps ranking over the past three years. The all-sports score followed the same concept, but used an average across every sport combined.
Lacrosse, stunt and water polo were excluded.
League supremacy was measured using league standings from the past two years provided by commissioners. Playoff performance and three-year average Commissioner’s Cup results were also considered.
“The goal was to create as complete a picture as possible of each athletic program and then use that information along with the criteria established in our constitution to make informed decisions about the proposed alignment,” Feuerbach said.
What happens next?
What the CIF Sac-Joaquin Section unveiled is not set in stone.
In fact, commissioner Michael Garrison described it as only the starting point.
“It is the beginning of the public portion of the process,” Garrison said.
Schools will have until Oct. 30 to submit alternate proposals before public hearings are held Dec. 8-9. During those hearings, schools and leagues will be able to present proposals, provide feedback and share additional information.
From there, section staff will review what it has received and revise the realignment plan where appropriate.
The process will continue into 2027. The executive committee is scheduled to meet again Jan. 21, with the final realignment plan expected to be completed Feb. 2.
Schools will have their say beginning Feb. 8. Voting closes Feb. 19, with a simple majority needed for the plan to advance.
If it does, the final plan will head to the board of managers April 21 for ratification.
“Throughout this process, schools have multiple opportunities to provide information, submit proposals, participate in public hearings, and ultimately vote on the final plan,” Garrison said. “The goal is to use that process to develop alignment that promotes competitive equity and best serves the overall membership of the Sac-Joaquin Section.”
Proposed 2028-32 CIF Sac-Joaquin Section leagues
Tri-City Athletic League football
Capital — Central Catholic, Chavez, Edison, Kimball, Lincoln, Manteca, St. Mary’s, Tracy
Valley — Bear Creek, Franklin, Lodi, McNair, Stagg, Tokay, West, Weston Ranch
Tri-City Athletic League all other sports
Capital — Central Catholic, Kimball, Lincoln, Lodi, Manteca, St. Mary’s, Tokay, Tracy
Valley — Bear Creek, Chavez, Edison, Franklin, McNair, Stagg, West, Weston Ranch
Valley Oak League football
Capital — Downey, Escalon, Hughson, Oakdale, Patterson, Sonora, Turlock
Valley — East Union, Enochs, Gregori, Mountain House, Pitman, Ripon, Sierra
Valley Oak League all other sports
Capital — East Union, Gregori, Mountain House, Oakdale, Pitman, Sierra, Turlock
Valley — Downey, Enochs, Escalon, Hughson, Patterson, Ripon, Sonora
Central California Conference Football
Capital — Atwater, Golden Valley, Grace Davis, Johansen, Lathrop, Los Banos, Merced, Ripon Christian
Valley — Beyer, Buhach Colony, Central Valley, Ceres, El Capitan, Livingston, Modesto, Pacheco
Central California Conference all other sports
Capital — Atwater, Beyer, Ceres, El Capitan, Golden Valley, Lathrop, Merced, Ripon Christian
Valley — Buhach Colony, Central Valley, Grace Davis, Johansen, Livingston, Los Banos, Modesto, Pacheco
Mother Lode League Football
Capital — Calaveras, Denair, Hilmar, Le Grand, Linden, Orestimba, Stone Ridge Christian, Summerville
Valley — Big Valley Christian, Bret Harte, Delhi, Gustine, Mariposa, River Islands, Riverbank, Waterford
Mother Lode League all other sports
Capital — Bret Harte, Calaveras, Delhi, Denair, Hilmar, Linden, Orestimba, Summerville
Valley — Big Valley Christian, Gustine, Le Grand, Mariposa, Riverbank, River Islands, Stone Ridge Christian, Waterford
This article originally appeared on The Record: CIF Sac-Joaquin Section Realignment Proposal would end two longtime conferences
