Duncanville quarterback J’Coryon Rivers (14) celebrates with teammates after a victory over Allen in a Class 6A Division I state semifinal.high school football playoff game on Saturday, Dec. 13, 2025, in Mesquite.
Smiley N. Pool/Staff Photographer
When you think of Texas, high school football and the Friday night lights are a big part of the image for many folks.
While the movie about it was set in West Texas, the Dallas-Fort Worth area’s high school football pedigree is nothing to sniff at. With dozens of UIL schools across North Texas and various districts and classes to keep track of, it can be a lot to understand for people new to the area and to Texas high school football.
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Who runs Texas high school football?
There are various leagues that put on high school football and other inter-school sports in Texas, including the Texas Association of Private and Parochial Schools (TAPPS) and the Southwest Preparatory Conference (SPC). But when you think of Texas high school football, you’re likely thinking of the University Interscholastic League (UIL) that manages high school sports for public schools in Texas.
The UIL dates back to the early 20th century and is the largest inter-school organization of its kind, according to its website. Beyond football, the UIL administers numerous other extracurricular activities across academic, athletic and musical contests.
Fans watch C.E. King face DeSoto during the first half of the 6A Division II football state championship game at AT&T Stadium on Saturday, Dec. 20, 2025, in Arlington.
Smiley N. Pool/Staff Photographer
How is football organized?
The UIL divides schools by enrollment during a biennial realignment that also determines the regions and districts in which each school plays. The latest realignment happened earlier in February 2026 to set the stage for the 2026-28 cycle.
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Related: UIL realignment FAQ: What to know about the biennial event
Realignment divides all the participating schools mostly by geography, but considers other factors like size and shared school districts. Districts need to have at least four schools — the amount of teams per district that make the playoffs — and UIL has historically kept districts to a maximum of nine schools.
Enrollment size determines what class and division each school competes in, with the largest schools in Class 6A and the smallest schools in 1A. Each class is subdivided into two divisions, which further ensures schools of relatively similar size and resources compete with each other. Schools can also request playing up a level, and some do so for competitive, financial or other reasons.
The cutoff numbers — which are determined with the aim of having roughly the same amount of schools in each classification — looked like this for the latest cycle:
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Class 6A: Enrollment of 2,215 and above
Class 5A: Enrollment of 1,305-2,214
Class 4A: Enrollment of 550-1,304
Class 3A: Enrollment of 246-549
Class 2A: Enrollment of 105-245
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Class A: Enrollment of 104.9 or less
Playoffs and scheduling
Each school plays a 10-game schedule made up of district games and non-district games. Non-district games can be against anyone, including teams from different classifications or other states. For 2A and up, the top four teams from each district make the playoffs and compete for a state title.
Related: Check out notable 2026 nondistrict football games, including state champions facing off
The playoffs take place over six weeks during November and December. The rounds contested are the bi-district round, the area round, the regional semifinals, the regional finals, the state semifinals and the state championship. The state title games have been regularly held at AT&T Stadium in Arlington since 2010, a year after the Cowboys moved to the venue.
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DeSoto head coach Claude Mathis lifts the championship trophy after a victory over C.E. King in the 6A Division II football state championship game at AT&T Stadium on Saturday, Dec. 20, 2025, in Arlington.
Smiley N. Pool/Staff Photographer
Key programs
These are some of the most successful programs in D-FW:
Aledo: Just moved up to compete in Class 6A, District 3. The school, located west of Fort Worth, is a record 12-time state champion across 3A, 4A and 5A (1998, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2013, 2014, 2016, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2022, 2023)
Allen: Currently in District 6-6A. The largest school in the UIL with more than 6,500 students. It’s a five-time state champion (2008, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2017).
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Celina quarterback Bowe Bentley (1) celebrates after the final play of a victory over Kilgore in the Class 4A Division I state football championship game on Friday, Dec. 20, 2024, in Arlington.
Smiley N. Pool/Staff Photographer
Celina: They have won nine state championships (1974,1995, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2005, 2007, 2024) across various levels. The school moved up to Class 5A-II in 2026 and will play in District 4.
Duncanville: Currently competes in District 11-6A. Three-time state champion (1998, 2022 and 2023) and a seven-time state title game participant.
DeSoto: The school just moved down to Class 5A-I after winning the 6A Division II state title in 2025. It is a four-time state champion (2016, 2022, 2023, 2025).
Highland Park: This affluent Dallas enclave competes in Class 5A-I District 6. It has won six state championships (1945, 1957, 2005, 2016, 2017, 2018) and is the winningest program in state history with more than 900 victories all time.
Plano: A historic D-FW powerhouse that has not been in statewide contention recently, this program now competes in 6A District 7. It is a seven-time state champion (1965, 1967, 1971, 1977, 1986, 1987, 1994).
South Oak Cliff poses a photo with the trophy after a Class 5A Division II football state championship game against Richmond Randle at AT&T Stadium in Arlington on Saturday, Dec. 20, 2025. SOC toppled defending champion Randle 35-19.
Juan Figueroa/Staff Photographer
South Oak Cliff: This Dallas ISD school competes in Class 5A-II District 5 along with a bevy of DISD opponents. They have been a dominant force of late, winning three state titles in 2021, 2022 and 2025 under head coach Jason Todd.
Southlake Carroll: This program currently competes in 6A District 4. The program is an eight-time state champion (1988, 1992, 1993, 2002, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2011).
ORG XMIT: *S18B334AB* Highland Park quarterback Matthew Stafford (7)drops back to throw against Terrel in High School football action at Highlander Stadium in University Park Friday night, October 14, 2005.
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Notable D-FW standouts
Here is a look at some of the biggest football players who have emerged from Dallas-area high schools through the decades.
Name, high school, final season
Davey O’Brien, Dallas Wilson, 1934
Bobby Layne, Highland Park, 1943
Doak Walker, Highland Park, 1945
Tim Brown, Dallas Wilson, 1983
Jessie Armstead, Dallas Carter, 1988
Matthew Stafford, Highland Park, 2006
Myles Garrett, Arlington Martin, 2013
Kyler Murray, Allen, 2014
Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Rockwall, 2019