Imagine St. Thomas Aquinas and Miami Northwestern on the same football field at the same time.

It could happen as early as next year.

The Florida High School Activities Association, the governing body of high school sports, is rewriting rivalries, shifting powers and rerouting the road to the state title game.

A realignment of schools is changing the landscape of high school sports, which will put Aquinas, this year's No. 1 team in the nation, against Northwestern, last year's mythical national champion, in the same classification.

Northwestern, which will try to win its third consecutive Class 6A state title Saturday, is moving down to 5A to join Aquinas, which will try to win its second consecutive 5A title Friday.

''I have no comment about it, because nothing is final,'' said Aquinas coach George Smith, who heard Northwestern might be moving to 5A. ``We'll see what happens.''

Aquinas would be in District 15-5A and Northwestern would be in District 16-5A, and if both won their districts, they would meet in the second round of the playoffs.

The FHSAA released the proposed new districts Monday. Schools have two weeks to appeal.

CLASH OF TITANS?

The Northwestern-Aquinas scenario is the one everyone will be talking about, because fans in both counties often debate which program is better. But the realignment affects several Broward rivalries and roads to the state title.

With Northwestern moving down to 5A, the chances of Broward winning a 6A title get better.

Broward County has never produced a 6A champion in football, and only one school has ever won the big school football title. Hollywood Hills won the big school title in 1973 when 4A was the largest classification.

''Northwestern moving down will change things,'' said Miramar coach Damon Cogdell, whose team lost to Northwestern 42-23 on Friday in the state semifinals. ``As far as we look at it, we wanted a rematch [next year]. You want to be the best, and that means beating the best. This will change things. I hope it's a good sign.''

It is for Miramar. Cogdell called his district the toughest in South Florida because his team had to play both Cypress Bay and Everglades, but that will change. Miramar leaves Cypress Bay and Everglades, which remain in District 16-11A, and joins Piper, South Plantation and Western in a much easier District 16-10A.

DILLARD IN 4A

Dillard has had to play the best 5A teams in South Florida for years, with the Panthers always running into Aquinas early in the playoffs. If Dillard was located in a different part of the state, the Panthers might not meet Aquinas until the state finals. Now Dillard won't have to meet Aquinas at all, because Dillard is moving down to 4A and will be pitted against Miami Central in a new 4A district.

'We're rebuilding and we feel we will be at Aquinas' level in a couple of years anyway,'' second-year Dillard coach Keith Franklin said.

Deerfield Beach coach Art Taylor, who beat Northwestern in the state semifinals in 2005 and lost in the semis to the Bulls last year, thought Deerfield was also moving to 5A. When he was told his team would still be in 6A, he was relieved.

''We want to stay in 6A for a lot of reasons,'' Taylor said. ``It's the biggest classification. But this will change some rivalries in some districts. Dillard is moving to 4A, and they will be a power to be reckoned with there.''

Plantation and Boyd Anderson, which lost to Deerfield in the playoffs, are both dropping down to 5A to join Ely and Northeast in a four-team district, as the balance of power changes in North Broward.

There are also some interesting shifts in the smaller schools. North Broward Prep and American Heritage, who were rivals this season, are going in different directions. North Broward Prep will drop down to 2B and will have to face powerhouse Pahokee, while Heritage is in a new 2A district with powerhouse Glades Central.

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