By ALBERT VILLEGAS
Special to the NEWS
San Benito High School student-athletes will once again be affected by the biennial University Interscholastic League (UIL) realignment when the school year begins next year.
The UIL released the changes on Monday, Feb. 1.
Fall sports such as volleyball, football, cross-country, golf, and tennis will be affected first, as their seasons begin in August and September.
As fall turns to winter and the calendar shifts to 2027, other sports such as soccer, baseball, softball, and track and field will follow.
San Benito CISD Athletic Director Dan Gomez said he was not taken aback by the changes and welcomes the shift in competition.
“This year’s realignment is no surprise. We knew the possibility of competitive programs getting added to 32-6A was more than likely going to happen,” said Gomez, who is also the Greyhounds’ head football coach.
Brownsville Hanna is the only school leaving District 32-6A, joining District 15-5A Division I alongside four Rio Grande Valley schools and three Corpus Christi schools.
San Benito will be in a newly-formed six-team district featuring familiar foes: Brownsville Veterans Memorial, Los Fresnos, and Harlingen. The four will now include PSJA and PSJA North high schools.
The ‘Hounds have competed against these teams in some form or another on the gridiron or the court. However, their wins and losses will count toward the district standings over the next two years.
When San Benito advances to the postseason, as it has many times, Weslaco will still be part of District 31-6A and will now add the last of the four Edinburg schools, Vela. So it returns Economedes, North, and Edinburg high schools.
The following day, SBCISD’s athletic department released its 2026 football schedule.
Since SBHS added an extra district opponent, scheduling has become a bit easier.
The following are the schools SBHS will compete against, in order; however, dates and times have not yet been finalized, according to SBCISD. All five home games will be played at Bobby Morrow Stadium, and according to SBCISD, the stadium will “feature installation of the soon-to-be largest scoreboard in the state of Texas.”
The non-district games are Edcouch-Elsa (home), Edinburg Vela, Laredo Alexander, Harlingen South (home), and Odessa (neutral site).
District games, in order, are Brownsville Veterans Memorial (home), Los Fresnos, PSJA North (home), Harlingen (home), and PSJA.
Regarding football, the ‘Hounds will face three teams that claimed a district title, including Los Fresnos, Edinburg Vela, and PSJA North.
The Odessa school was grouped in the same district as far West Texas teams, including Midland and San Angelo. The Broncos were winless last season.
The ‘Hounds will no longer play Carthage, Austin Westlake, and Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León in non-district games.
“We’ve always competed in the toughest district south of San Antonio, and the next two years will be no different,” Gomez said. “Our student athletes are ready for the new challenges and are excited for the future.”
1 comment
PSJA is just as bad as San Benito… guessing those games will be a toss up; 50/50. Nothing will change without a new head coach.