These Texas Teams Are Going 400+ Miles To District Football Games

On February 1, 2024, the Texas University Interscholastic League released the district realignment map for 2024-2026.

Using school enrollment numbers, the UIL had already come up with the cut-off numbers for the different conferences from A through 6A. Then, they had to come up with their best plan to assign teams to football, basketball, and volleyball districts.

A large part of the consideration by the UIL is to try their best to keep extensive travel at a minimum. Of course, there will always be disagreements with some of their decisions.

Lufkin's Shocking New District

For the past two years, Lufkin's football district has included trips to Forney and Mesquite. However, several of the teams in that district will be moving up in classification for 2024-2026.

So, it was given that Lufkin would see some big changes for the upcoming realignment, but nobody guessed that those changes would include schools south of Fort Worth, such as Cleburne and Joshua.

When it comes to traveling for district football games, no other school east of Interstate 35 will travel farther than Lufkin. Their games against Joshua and Cleburne will each be about 7 hours round trip.

For that reason, Lufkin is appealing the UIL's decision.

The School That Has to Travel the Farthest Is...

Anthony, Texas.

I always thought El Paso was the westernmost point of Texas. Nope. It's Anthony, located on the New Mexico border, just north-northwest of El Paso.

In 2024, Anthony will belong to a 4-team district that includes a date with the Crane Golden Cranes. That's a 310-mile trip that will require about 4 hours and 45 minutes of travel time...ONE WAY.

Anthony, Texas is closer to Tucson, Arizona than Crane!

But, It Could Be Worse

Over the past two football seasons, Anthony's football district included a trip to Christoval, near San Angelo. That's a one-way trip of 6 hours and 13 minutes.

That's about the same time it would take to travel from Houston, Texas to Biloxi, Mississippi...for a DISTRICT GAME.

The Football Teams Travelling the Farthest for District Games in 2024/2025

Using Google Maps as a guide, here are 36 district games coming up over the next two seasons that will require at least 6 hours of round-trip travel.