New 3A/4A SPC Alignment

In June, the Heads of School from members of the Southwest Preparatory Conference (SPC) unanimously decided to expand the split into 3A and 4A championship brackets from football and boys lacrosse to all SPC sports with at least 12 total teams.

FWCD has been working toward – and rooting for – the alignment for years. Unlike the old Division I and II split, 3A/4A is based purely on a school’s Upper School enrollment. “This gives schools under 400 upper school students a much more level playing field at season-ending tournaments,” said Head of School Eric Lombardi. “This has been a priority for FWCD for years. We are thrilled to finally get the change over the finish line.”

Specifically, former Athletic Directors Frank Gendusa and Brian Phelps and former Head of School Evan D. Peterson H’15 laid the foundation, with Lombardi and current Athletic Director Leigh Block helping lead the charge at the end of the process. 

Block recently shared the news with his coaches. “FWCD will be 3A in all sports for at least the next two years,” he noted. “Every two years, the conference will reexamine the breakdown.” 

The 3A/4A make-up varies by sport. Regular season, pre-championship weekend, scheduling is not impacted. “The Falcons will still play all teams in their Zone during the regular season,” Block said. “Every team qualifies for season-ending championships. The number of games, sites, officials, etc., just got amped up. It’s exciting.”

For Lombardi, this means there are more FWCD champions in the making. “Starting in the 2022 fall season, all schools have a realistic chance of winning,” he said. “I know our Falcons are up to the challenge and ready to be in the hunt for 3A titles for most every sport, every season.”