Realignment forces Kilbourne into Ohio’s top football division

Worthington — Sustained playoff consistency got a new look for the Worthington Kilbourne football program this week.

On Thursday, the OHSAA announced its realigned divisions and regions for the 2026 season. Among the changes, Worthington Kilbourne will move up from Division II to Division I, joining Thomas Worthington as one of the smallest schools in the state’s top classification.

Worthington Kilbourne’s male enrollment reached 621, according to the Ohio Department of Education. This put the Wolves just over the Division II cutoff of 600 for the 2026 season.

Worthington Kilbourne reached the state playoffs in four of the past five seasons at the Division II level. In Division I, the Wolves are placed in Region 3, part of a realignment that shifted Upper Arlington, Grove City, and Central Crossing High School into Region 2.

The Wolves will share Region 3 with a deep and crowded field that includes Thomas Worthington, the four Olentangy schools, Pickerington Central and Pickerington North, all three Westerville programs, along with Gahanna Lincoln, Reynoldsburg, Delaware Hayes, Groveport Madison, Lancaster, Newark, Licking Heights, and St. Charles.

If Worthington Kilbourne had been placed in Region 3 last season, the Wolves would have finished seventh, good enough to host a first round playoff game.

Within the Ohio Capital Conference, Kilbourne will remain in the Capital Division, avoiding regular-season matchups with regional powers from Olentangy, Pickerington, and Upper Arlington.

The Wolves have built a program that has found playoff consistency, and the next step isn’t just about surviving Division I, it’s about proving they belong. If they take care of business, it won’t be a problem at all.