Upper St. Clair, Mt. Lebanon and Bethel Park are out. Erie McDowell may be in.

The WPIAL realigned its football conferences Tuesday and shrunk the Quad North in the process. Butler, Seneca Valley, North Allegheny, North Hills and Shaler will comprise the league for the next two years.

"Our member schools wanted conferences to be geographically-based rather than enrollment-based," WPIAL president and Butler athletic director Tim O'Malley said. "That was the reason for the changes."

Erie McDowell, a District 10 school, had petitioned the WPIAL for entrance as a football-only member in the past, but the District 10 committee denied that request. McDowell appealed to the PIAA, but was denied there as well.

Now McDowell wants to become an associate member of the WPIAL. If District 10 allows it, McDowell will play each of the five Quad North schools next season, though the games would be considered exhibition and not be counted in the league standings.

"McDowell would be an unofficial member of that section," O'Malley said. "It couldn't play in our playoffs, so if it finished fifth or sixth, the top four teams would go on to postseason.

"If it finished among the top four teams, the first-place team would probably receive a bye and only two other teams would make the playoffs."

McDowell's status with the Quad North may not be determined until Feb. 1, O'Malley said.

If the Erie school is not permitted to play the Quad North schools, then only three of the five schools would qualify for the playoffs.

The playoff format has not been finalized officially, but four out of six schools from each of the other three Quad-A sections would likely qualify.

"Getting McDowell would give us 24 Quad-A teams and balance things out," Butler coach Garry Cathell said. "I like this realignment. It's a return to the old Quad North.

"Rivalries are emphasized now. We enjoyed playing Mt. Lebanon, Upper St. Clair and Bethel, but our fan base wasn't benefiting from those trips and neither was theirs."

Seneca Valley athletic director Greg Caprara said lumping football programs together based on enrollment isn't necessary.

"(PIAA champion) McKeesport proved that small Quad-A teams can still be successful," he said. "Look at college teams that joined leagues for money and lost out on rivalries.

"Pitt and Penn State don't play each other anymore and it's a shame. All of the Quad North teams are healthy rivals. We want to stay together and play each other."

Caprara said neighborhood rivalries are the backbone of high school football.

"You can stand in Bethel Park, throw a stone and hit Upper St. Clair, Mt. Lebanon or Baldwin," he said. "I mean, take your pick. Those schools should be playing each other."

Besides the five in-section games, the WPIAL will assign schools three other games, likely one opponent from each of the other three sections.

"It's exciting in the sense that we may be playing a Penn Hills, a Woodland Hills or a Gateway," Cathell said. "Or they may assign us Kiski Area, in which case we'd have to find another opener."

Other Butler County schools are mildly affected by the realignment. Knoch plays in the Class AAA Greater Allegheny Conference, which loses Keystone Oaks and gains Greensburg Salem, (2-7 last year).

Mars and Summit Academy play in the Class AA Tri-County North, which adds Cornell (0-10) and becomes a nine-team league.

Freeport plays in the Class AA Allegheny Conference, which adds Northgate (3-6) to become a nine-team circuit as well.