The CIAC boys basketball divisions have been set with the same numbers in four of the five divisions and the formula basically unchanged from a season ago. But there was some interesting movement from last season's divisions.
In an email sent to Connecticut's athletic directors and coaches by the CIAC, obtained by CT Insider, Division V moved up to 48 teams from 47 due to a new school, ACES, based out of Waterbury, joining the CIAC. The other four divisions are as follows: 16 in Division I, 37 in Division II, 39 in Division III and 41 in Division IV.
Windsor, last season's CIAC Division II champion, East Hartford, Norwich Free Academy and Trumbull have moved up while Holy Cross, Danbury, Manchester and Stamford have moved down. Also in Division II are Windham Tech and Cheney Tech, both moving up from Division IV. Windham Tech was last season's champion. Woodland, which lost to Windham Tech, is now in Division III. Grasso Tech moved up to Division II from Division III
SMSA and Stratford, the CIAC Division III champion and runner-up, respectively, are now in Division II. Hartford Public, which reached the Division V state final last season, moved up two divisions to III while V champion Stafford is now in Division IV.
Teams going in the other direction include Innovation (Division IV from II), Kolbe Cathedral (Division III from II) and Waterbury Career (Division III from II).
The last two season's of data was used to determine the divisions. Enrollments are used from the 2025-26 school year - all CIAC sports use just the previous season to determine divisions - which in basketball counts as 66 percent of the total formula used.
Teams receive power points for each victory from a team it defeated during the last two seasons. Also, the mathematical formula still includes the league multipliers for the Tier I (multiplied by 3) and Tier II (multiplied by 2) leagues. There is no multiplier used for schools in Tier III.
The tournament success factor still only applies to the schools of choice. Those teams gain points for advancing to the quarterfinals (100 points), semifinals (150), final (200) and for winning the championship. Those title-winning teams of choice gain 350 points so in all, a school of choice gains 750 points. If it is consecutive titles, that is 1,500 points.
Teams have until Nov. 6 to petition to move up to Division I. Only Holy Cross did so last season.
CIAC Boys Basketball 2026-27 Divisions
Division I (16)
East Catholic
East Hartford
Glastonbury
New Britain
New London
Northwest Catholic
Norwich Free Academy
Notre Dame Prep
Notre Dame-West Haven
Ridgefield
Southington
St. Bernard
Staples
Trumbull
West Haven
Windsor
Division II (37)
Bethel
Bloomfield
Bridgeport Central
Bunnell
Conard
Crosby
Danbury
Enfield
Fairfield Ludlowe
Fairfield Prep
Fairfield Warde
Fitch
Grasso Tech
Greenwich
Hall
Hamden
Hand
Hillhouse
Holy Cross
Maloney
Manchester
McMahon
New Canaan
New Fairfield
Newington
Newtown
North Haven
Platt
Shelton
SMSA
Stamford
Stratford
Westhill
Wilbur Cross
Wilton
Windham Tech
Xavier
Division III (39)
Abbott Tech
Amity
Berlin
Branford
Bristol Central
Bristol Eastern
Career
Cheshire
Darien
E.O. Smith
East Haven
Ellington
Farmington
Foran
Griswold
Guilford
Harding
Hartford Public
Kennedy
Killingly
Kolbe Cathedral
Lewis Mills
Masuk
Middletown
Naugatuck
New Milford
Norwalk
Pomperaug
Sheehan
Simsbury
South Windsor
St. Joseph
Stonington
Torrington
Waterbury Career
Weston
Wilby
Woodland
Woodstock Academy
Division IV (41)
Aerospace
Ansonia
Avon
Barlow
Bassick
Bullard-Havens
Cheney Tech
Comp Sci
Coventry
Cromwell
East Lyme
Ellis Tech
Goodwin Tech
Granby
Haddam-Killingworth
Immaculate
Innovation
Kaynor Tech
Lakeview
Law
Ledyard
Lyman Hall
Montville
Nonnewaug
Old Lyme
Plainville
Platt Tech
RHAM
Rockville
Rocky Hill
Seymour
Shepaug Valley
St. Paul
Stafford
Suffield
Tolland
Vinal Tech
Watertown
Weaver
Wethersfield
Whitney Tech
Division V (48)
ACES
Achievement First
Amistad
Bacon Academy
Bolton
Brookfield
Bulkeley
Canton
Capital Prep
Classical Magnet
Coginchaug
Derby
East Granby
East Hampton
East Windsor
Gilbert
Hale-Ray
HMTCA
Housatonic Regional
International
Lyman Memorial
Morgan
North Branford
Northwest Regional
Norwich Tech
O'Brien Tech
Old Saybrook
Oxford
Parish Hill
Plainfield
Portland
Prince Tech
Putnam
Somers
Terryville
Thomaston
Tourtellotte
University
Valley Regional
Waterford
Westbrook
Wilcox Tech
Windham
Windsor Locks
Wheeler
Wolcott
Wolcott Tech
Wright Tech
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This article originally published at CIAC boys basketball sets five tournament divisions: Plenty of movement for upcoming 2026-27 season.