2026-2027 Proposed NJSIAA Football Classifications
As first reported by NorthJersey.com on Yahoo.com, the NJSIAA has begun circulating its proposed football group classifications for the 2026 and 2027 seasons. These classifications remain unofficial for now, with final groupings expected to be announced in the coming weeks.
The most notable change involves six teams — Camden, Cedar Creek, Glassboro, Phillipsburg, Ramapo, and Shabazz — that have each been moved up one full group classification under the NJSIAA’s Competitive Balance Policy. You can read more about the reasoning behind those moves in our story from January.
Most notably, Middletown North and Middletown South will move from South Jersey Group 4 to North Jersey Group 4, while Holmdel and Matawan will move from South Jersey Group 3 to North Jersey Group 3. Manalapan was bumped up from South Jersey Group 4 to South Jersey Group 5, while Marlboro dropped down from South Jersey Group 5 to South Jersey Group 4.
Here are the updated classifications. Shore Conference teams are in bold font.
North, Group 5
Barringer
Bayonne
Bloomfield
Bridgewater-Raritan
Clifton
Columbia
East Orange
Elizabeth
Franklin
Irvington
J.P. Stevens
Linden
Livingston
Montclair
Morristown
Passaic
Passaic Tech
Paterson Eastside
Perth Amboy
Phillipsburg
Piscataway
Plainfield
Ramapo
Ridgewood
Union
Union City
West Orange
Westfield
South, Group 5
Atlantic Tech
Cherokee
Cherry Hill East
East Brunswick
Eastern
Edison
Egg Harbor
Freehold Township
Hillsborough
Hunterdon Central
Jackson
Kingsway
Lenape
Manalapan
Monroe
New Brunswick
Old Bridge
Rancocas Valley
Sayreville
South Brunswick
Southern
Toms River North
Trenton
Vineland
Washington Township
West Windsor-Plainsboro
Williamstown
North, Group 4
Carteret
Chatham
Colonia
Fair Lawn
Garfield
Hackensack
JFK-Iselin
Middletown North
Middletown South
Montgomery
Morris Knolls
Mount Olive
Newark Central
North Brunswick
North Hunterdon
Northern Highlands
Nutley
Orange
Palisades Park/Leonia
Rahway
Randolph
Ridge
Roxbury
Scotch Plains-Fanwood
Summit
Teaneck
Watchung Hills
Woodbridge
South, Group 4
Absegami
Atlantic City
Brick Memorial
Bridgeton
Cedar Creek
Central
Cherry Hill West
Clearview
Colts Neck
Cumberland
Freehold Boro
Hamilton
Hammonton
Hightstown
Howell
Long Branch
Marlboro
Millville
Moorestown
Northern Burlington
Pennsauken
Princeton
Shawnee
Steinert
Toms River East
Toms River South
Winslow
North, Group 3
Cranford
Holmdel
Lincoln
Matawan
Mendham
Montville
Morris Hills
Newark West Side
North Plainfield
Old Tappan
Paramus
Parsippany Hills
Pascack Valley
Passaic Valley
River Dell
Shabazz
Snyder
Somerville
South Plainfield
Sparta
Warren Hills
Wayne Hills
Wayne Valley
Weequahic
West Essex
West Milford
West Morris
South, Group 3
Allentown
Barnegat
Brick
Burlington Township
Camden
Cinnaminson
Delran
Delsea
Deptford
Ewing
Highland Regional
Hopewell Valley
Lacey
Lakewood
Lawrence
Mainland
Neptune
Nottingham
Oakcrest
Ocean City
Pemberton
Pinelands
Pleasantville
Red Bank
Robbinsville
Seneca
Timber Creek
Triton
North, Group 2
Becton
Bernards
Caldwell
Cresskill/Emerson
Dumont
Elmwood Park
Glen Rock
Hackettstown
Hanover Park
High Point
Hillside
Hoboken
Indian Hills
Jefferson
Lakeland
Lenape Valley
Lodi
Lyndhurst
Madison
Mahwah
Manchester Regional
New Providence
Parsippany
Pequannock
Ramsey
Rutherford
Sussex Tech
Vernon
Voorhees
Waldwick/Midland Park
Westwood
South, Group 2
Bordentown
Camden Eastside
Collingswood
Glassboro
Gloucester
Governor Livingston
Haddon Heights
Haddonfield
Johnson
Lindenwold
Lower Cape May
Manasquan
Manchester
Mastery Charter
Metuchen
Middle Township
Monmouth
Ocean
Overbrook
Point Boro
Raritan
Roselle
Rumson-Fair Haven
South River
Spotswood
Sterling
Wall
West Deptford
Willingboro
North, Group 1
Belvidere
Bogota
Boonton
Brearley
Butler
Cedar Grove
Dayton
Dunellen
Glen Ridge
Hasbrouck Heights
Hawthorne
Hopatcong
Kinnelon
Kittatinny
Middlesex
Mountain Lakes
New Milford
Newton
North Arlington
North Warren
Park Ridge
Pompton Lakes
Roselle Park
Saddle Brook
Secaucus
Verona
Wallington
Wallkill Valley
Weehawken
Whippany Park
Wood-Ridge
South, Group 1
Asbury Park
Audubon
Bound Brook
Buena
Burlington City
Clayton
Delaware Valley
Florence
Gateway
Haddon Township
Highland Park
Keansburg
Keyport
KIPP Academy
Manville
Maple Shade
New Egypt
Palmyra
Paulsboro
Penns Grove
Pennsville
Pitman
Point Beach
Riverside
Salem
Schalick
Shore
South Hunterdon
Wildwood
Woodbury
Woodstown
Non-Public A
*Public school equivalent of Group 3, 4 and 5
Bergen Catholic
Don Bosco
Delbarton
St. Augustine
St. Joseph (Metuchen)
St. Joseph (Montvale)
St. Peter’s Prep
Seton Hall Prep
Non-Public B
*Public school equivalent of Group 1 and 2
Bishop Eustace
Camden Catholic
DePaul
Donovan Catholic
Gloucester Catholic
Holy Cross
Holy Spirit
Hudson Catholic
Immaculata
Montclair Kimberley
Morris Catholic
Morristown Beard
Notre Dame
Paramus Catholic
Paul VI
Pingry
Pope John
Red Bank Catholic
St. John Vianney
St. Joseph Academy
St. Mary’s Rutherford
St. Thomas Aquinas
