Thursday was the day the University Interscholastic League heard appeals from school districts, and it brought big news for District 22-5A.

The district has become a nine-team league with the addition of Livingston. The Lions join Baytown Lee, Central, Lumberton, Nederland, Ozen, Port Arthur Memorial, Port Neches-Groves and Vidor for football. A decision where Livingston plays all other sports will be made at a later date.

Livingston appealed to the UIL about being in District 10-4A Division I because incorrect enrollment numbers were given to the governing board. The new numbers were enough to bump the Lions up a classification.

“This means you have to be ready at the very start of the season,” Memorial coach Kenny Harrison said. “We have to be ready a lot sooner than we expected.”

Livingston’s arrival in the district also means the other eight teams have to readjust their non-district schedule.

Harrison said he had to call Houston St. Thomas to take the Titans off its football schedule for Week 3 next year to make room for the extra district contest. PN-G had to drop Sheldon C.E. King off its schedule and Nederland removed College Station.

The move also hurts the district schedule of 10-4A DI schools. The district includes Bridge City, Cleveland, Huffman Hargrave, Little Cypress-Mauriceville, Navasota and Silsbee.

Those teams now have to find a non-district opponent to fill in the gap left after the Lions departure.

“We were feeling really good until today about eliminating all the travel,” Harrison said. “Luckily, it will only be one game for us, but it really hurts those guys [Livingston]. I was really excited there for a while. I was very shocked when I heard the news. We are going to move forward. Unfortunately I have to go back and call St. Thomas and tell them they are off our schedule.”