Pope John Paul II's football classification could change depending on what the Tennessee Secondary School Athletic Association (TSSAA) Board of Control decides at a special meeting Thursday, Oct. 1, in Mount Juliet.

The board will meet at 2 p.m. to discuss the 12-team minimum for Division II-AAA football in the 2027-29 classification cycle, TSSAA assistant executive director Matthew Gillespie told Main Street Preps. Four DII-AAA programs have announced plans to leave the classification and play independent schedules, dropping the division well below its required floor.

The Knights, based on Caldwell Drive in Hendersonville, were placed in Division II-AA for the 2027-29 cycle with an enrollment of 481 students. But under a rule the board approved March 4, as reported by WSMV, schools with the largest enrollments in lower classifications can be pulled up to fill DII-AAA if it falls below 12 teams.

Four schools out, eight remain

The exodus started Sept. 22, when Christ Presbyterian Academy announced it would play an independent, non-region schedule for the next two seasons. Father Ryan followed on Sept. 27, with school president Paul Davis emailing parents that the Irish would leave DII-AAA and forgo TSSAA playoff eligibility.

"We have become increasingly concerned that a growing number of football programs across the state are not aligned with our view of the TSSAA's mission as it relates to the prioritization of the student-athlete," Davis wrote in the email, first reported by The Tennessean.

Memphis University School and Christian Brothers High School announced a joint move to independent schedules on Monday, Sept. 28, according to The Commercial Appeal. Christian Brothers had the largest enrollment in DII-AAA at 1,478 students. The two Memphis schools said they plan to create their own 10-game schedule with a bowl game.

Eight schools remain in a division requiring 12.

What it means for JPII

Under the current procedure, the TSSAA would fill those four empty spots by pulling up the largest DII-AA schools by enrollment. Christ Presbyterian Academy (517 students) sits atop DII-AA, and JPII (481) is second.

CPA announced Sept. 22 that it will play an independent schedule for the next two seasons. Under the fill rule, CPA would be the first school pulled up from DII-AA to DII-AAA, and its departure to independent play would trigger yet another pull-up from the lower classification.

The reclassification deadline is Friday, Oct. 2. Davis noted in his email that Father Ryan is aware of several other schools considering independent schedules, meaning more departures could come before the deadline.

Thursday's meeting

The board's options are unclear. Whether the TSSAA could waive or reduce the 12-team minimum, restructure DII-AAA entirely, or enforce the existing fill rule has not been detailed in public statements.

The meeting is set for 2 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 1, in Mount Juliet. No public comment from JPII's administration or coaching staff has appeared regarding the potential forced reclassification.