Major changes are coming for Spartan athletes in the 2025–2026 school year, as Sparta moved into a new athletic conference that will bring unfamiliar opponents, adjusted travel schedules, and a fresh competitive structure.
Sparta left the Central Piedmont 4A Conference and joined the Piedmont Triad 5A/6A, part of the North Carolina High School Athletic Association’s (NCHSAA) 2025–2029 realignment. The change, which took effect in fall 2025, is designed to group schools more evenly by enrollment size and geography.
Junior and three-season runner Charles Rankin said his first reaction to the news was uncertainty.
“I was scared at first,” Rankin said. “I was worried we would be with all the big Charlotte schools.” Once the new alignment was announced, his feelings changed. “I’m most excited to play Oak Grove because it’ll be a new team we’ve never played before.”
Rankin said he believes the new schedule will make the season more enjoyable. “It’ll be more fun because it’s new competition, and with all of conference being toward the end of our season, it’ll be a fun way to end the year,” he explained.
Hailey Zakrzewski, junior volleyball player, shared a similar view, saying the change could “make games more fun, but maybe not as challenging.”
Still, some players are disappointed about losing long-standing rivalries.
“I’m still excited to play our rivals like [Ronald] Reagan and [R.J.] Reynolds, but I’m not excited that it will be a non-conference game,” Rankin said. Rankin also hopes the move will encourage stronger school spirit and attendance. “I hope it’ll stay the same, if not get better,” he said.
Zakrzewski agreed, noting that new opponents could spark more interest among fans. She also mentioned that some sports, such as soccer, often struggle to draw large crowds.
Looking ahead, Rankin believes the new setup could help Mount Tabor’s postseason hopes. “I think we have a better chance to make the playoffs as a higher seed, just because these new teams are smaller and a little less competitive,” he said.
Zakrzewski shared a similar perspective, saying that less competition from smaller schools could improve Sparta’s post-season and playoff chances.
According to the NCHSAA, the new conference structure officially took effect in fall 2025, meaning Spartan athletes began competing in the Piedmont Triad 5A/6A conference and in the 6A West region at the start of the 2025–2026 athletic year.
No matter what conference we’re in, we’re still Spartans — and we’re going to compete the same way,” Rankin said.
