Some of the schools that changed classes include Bolivar, Class 4 instead of 3; Cabool, Class 1 instead of 2; Mountain Grove, Class 3 instead of 2; Diamond, Class 2 instead of 1; and Springfield Catholic, Class 3 instead of 2.

Also, Class 5 has one five-team district, and it's in southwest Missouri. It's the only five-team district in all six classes.

Glendale, Kickapoo, Nixa, Ozark and Parkview are in District 5. That means their district games will begin in week six or seven, creating a scheduling problem for three of those teams each year.

If a team's non-district-game week is in one of the final three weeks of the season, it will have to have a bye or find an out-of-state team to play, since every other team in Missouri will be scheduled for three playoff games in the final three weeks of the regular season.

Also, beginning in 2008, the football playoff qualifying system changes. The top two teams from each district will advance to the playoffs instead of only the top team.

Under the new format, the playoffs will include 32 teams in classes 1, 2, 3 and 4; 22 teams in Class 5; and 16 teams in Class 6. In the past, 16 teams were in the playoffs from classes 1, 2, 3 and 4; eight teams were in the playoffs from classes 5 and 6.