In a long-awaited announcement, the TSSAA has identified the following schools as moving to independent status beginning in the 2027 season. These include:
Division ll
- Mt. Juliet Christian
- Clarksville Academy
Division l
- Lavergne
- Hunters Lane
The rumors have been hot and heavy for months as teams looked for a better path to success for their programs. Each team will play against other independent schools and will also be able to play against TSSAA schools but will not be eligible for Region championships or be able to play in the playoffs.
The move is for football only in 2027 and 2028 and was precipitated because of certain
Division ll High schools in Class AAA who board students from far away places and stockpile a lot of talent. Frankly, the new independent schools were tired of essentially playing schools who were playing with different rules.
We shall see how this system works. It could become a trend.