OHSAA Claus delivers region realignment gift to Upper Arlington

Upper Arlington — Upper Arlington should send a Christmas card to the OHSAA office this December.

Last week, the OHSAA released Division I’s new regional alignment following the promotion of several programs into Ohio’s top division. As part of the shuffle, Upper Arlington was moved into Region 2 alongside Grove City and Central Crossing after previously competing in Region 3.

That turned out to be a gift for the Golden Bears, who were pulled out of a region loaded with Central Ohio heavyweights like Olentangy and Pickerington.

Upper Arlington now joins a regional field featuring nearby programs from Hilliard, Dublin, Grove City, and Marysville alongside a plethora of Western Ohio schools from the Dayton region.

Golden Bears head coach Justin Buttermore says the program was surprised by the switch.

“I think we were all caught off guard by being moved out of region 3, but there was a need for a handful of teams to move to the Dayton region in order to create balanced numbers,” he said. “This feels more like the playoffs in smaller divisions where the regions are much larger geographically and therefore you rarely face teams you have already played during the season.”

In three of the past four seasons, Upper Arlington’s playoff runs have been ended by current Region 3 teams: Pickerington Central, Olentangy Liberty, and New Albany.

While the path isn’t cupcake, it also isn’t the Region 3 gauntlet Upper Arlington has repeatedly faced in recent years.

“I feel like in region 3 all of us have had to deal with a ton of rematches from the regular season once we reach the playoffs and that is always difficult,” Buttermore said. “So, we are looking forward to playing teams from outside the area that are a bit unfamiliar to our players and coaches.”

The Golden Bears’ new placement gives them a clearer shot at a deep playoff run and a chance to build on the success of one of Central Ohio’s established football programs.

After years of running into Central Ohio’s toughest walls, Upper Arlington now finds itself on a road that finally opens up a little, offering a different map and a clearer path forward.

The Golden Bears 2026 season kicks off on August 21st against Olentangy at the Marv.

Note: This story has been updated to include quotes from Upper Arlington head coach Justin Buttermore.