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The Alabama Independent School Association is preparing to blow the final whistle on more than five decades of organized athletics.

The association announced Wednesday that it will discontinue its athletic program at the conclusion of the 2026-27 school year, following a vote by its Board of Directors. The decision marks a major shift for Alabama's private-school sports landscape, even as the organization says its academic mission will continue.

The move comes as a new athletic association takes shape and private schools reconsider where they will compete in the years ahead.

AISA to End Athletics After More Than 50 Years

AISA Executive Director Michael McLendon described the decision as an emotional one, pointing to the organization's long athletic history and the people who built it over the decades.

AISA has relied on generations of coaches, athletic directors, administrators, officials, volunteers and student-athletes to establish its sports programs. Now, that chapter is scheduled to close after the 2026-27 academic year.

McLendon said the association is proud of its athletic history and grateful to everyone who contributed to it.

The decision arrives during a period of major change in Alabama high school athletics, where new leagues and changing championship structures are reshaping the competitive map.

New Private-School League Takes Shape

The emergence of the Gulf States Independent Athletic Association is one of the developments influencing the changing landscape.

The new organization is scheduled to begin competition during the 2027-28 school year. McLendon said AISA supports efforts to create an environment where private-school athletics can continue to develop.

He also wished the leadership of the Gulf States Independent Athletic Association success as it prepares for its launch.

The new league is expected to draw from schools currently competing under the AISA umbrella, as well as private schools affiliated with the Alabama High School Athletic Association that decide to make the move.

Schools Weigh Their Next Athletic Home

Longtime Macon-East Montgomery football coach and head of school Glynn Lott told AL.com Wednesday that the new association is now moving toward enrollment.

Lott said organizers have traveled around Alabama to explain the new league to AISA schools and address their questions. He said no AISA school had told him it would not join, and organizers expect all or most of the current AISA membership to participate.

Some AHSAA schools also have expressed interest, although Lott said those schools have not yet committed. He said administrators are still studying the available information and determining what arrangement works best for their individual schools.

The transition follows an important change within the AHSAA itself.

In January, the AHSAA Central Board voted to separate public and private schools for championship competition. The new structure began this fall, adding another layer to an already shifting athletic landscape.

AISA Athletics Still Has One Season Left

Although the athletic program's end is now set, AISA competition will continue through the 2026-27 school year.

This fall, the AISA football landscape includes 20 11-man teams and eight 8-man football programs, illustrating the breadth of the association's athletic operation before the planned shutdown.

The end of AISA athletics, however, will not mean the end of the organization itself.

Academic Mission Will Continue

AISA currently represents more than 100 member schools and more than 30,000 students.

According to the association, its academic services will continue after athletics ends. Those services include advocacy, accreditation, leadership support, professional development and academic competitions.

McLendon emphasized that the association's fundamental purpose remains intact despite the structural change.

He said AISA can honor more than 50 years of athletic history while supporting those creating new opportunities for private-school sports and looking ahead to the organization's future.

The playing field may change, but AISA says its commitment to Alabama's independent schools will remain.