This athletic year introduced Bellarmine to a brand new league, district, and state competition bracket. With this comes, what is considered to most, a lowered level of athletics. Instead of competing at the highest level of competition possible within the WIAA. The school now competes a level lower in 3A. Although, whether this means worse competition is up for debate. Especially with many students excited to play schools like Gig Harbor and Peninsula.

Many students had concerns when the article first came out, that the change was due to trying to make football games as entertaining as possible. Although this would appeal to school spirit, many non-football, varsity athletes were upset by this change.

Junior, Halle Bjorkman, one of the captains of the fastpitch team, said, “Some athletes who are looking to play in college, like myself, some of the all-league awards, and stuff like that, look much better at the 4A level.”

When talking to Athletic Director Kevin Meines, he said, “[Football] had nothing to do with it.” He instead attributed the change to regrouping as the Tacoma schools, the lower cost of transportation, and good competition for non-varsity athletes.

Meines also said, “All the Tacoma schools, just recently told us, girl’s soccer, doesn’t have any JV teams.”

Which he was assured would not be a problem when making this decision. But does this call to question how well-studied and investigated this major decision was, and was it truly a decision made with all student athletes in mind?

This change has seemed to positively affect certain athletes including Bellarmine’s freshman football players. LJ Pulu said, “Freshman are now allowed to play varsity and JV.” Which he doesn’t contribute to the classification switch, but a coaches’ decision. But does coincide with this year’s switch.

No matter what, Bellarmine has a long time to consider the repercussions of this decision due to the next availability to reconsider being the 2028 athletic season.