CPA boys basketball coach Drew Maddux

Christ Presbyterian Academy, which has won 10 state team titles in the last four years, will move to Division II starting next fall.

The Lions, a football, basketball, soccer, baseball and golf power, will move from Division I for the Tennessee Secondary School Athletic Association’s 2017-2020 classification cycle, the Nashville private school announced Tuesday.

CPA is the first Midstate private school to announce its intention to join Division II since the TSSAA bylaw changes regarding financial aid were announced.

“We view this new transition for our athletic program as an opportunity for CPA to increase our presence locally and have more opportunities to build relationships within our community,” CPA headmaster Nate Morrow said in a statement. “For our student-athletes, it means less travel and more time to focus on academic priorities.”

CPA players celebrate after beating Knoxville Catholic 2-1, to win the Class AA baseball title in 2015.

CPA, which has won 16 Division I team state titles since 1999, will compete in football in Division II-AA, which will consist of schools with enrollments between 266 and 530. In all other sports except bowling, track and wrestling, in which there will be just one class, the Lions will compete in Division II-A.

The enrollment cutoff for sports with two Division II classes is 451 — two more than CPA’s current enrollment of 449.

“We’re playing where our enrollment has us,” said CPA boys basketball coach Drew Maddux, who has led the Lions to a 296-57 record and two Division I Class AA state championships in 10 seasons. “Regardless of who we play, regardless of what that the division looks like, it will never change the mission for athletics on this campus.”

Fellow Division I private schools Goodpasture, Grace Christian, Lipscomb Academy, Middle Tennessee Christian and Nashville Christian have until Oct. 14 to announce whether they will move to Division II.

Columbia Academy and Clarksville Academy have stated that they will remain in Division I.

Reach Michael Murphy at 615-259-8262 and on Twitter @Murph_TNsports. 

CPA takes the field before the game against Stratford Friday Nov. 13, 2015, in Nashville, Tenn.

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