Multiple internal sources have confirmed with certainty to TVLSports.Net & HCAM’s Tom Nappi that Hopkinton Hiller High School Athletics will soon be leaving the Tri-Valley League (TVL) and will join the Bay State Conference (BSC). Currently, the 10 members of the Bay State Conference consists of Brookline, Framingham, Natick, Newton North and Wellesley in the Carey division, along with Braintree, Milton, Needham, Walpole and Weymouth in the Herget division. Sources confirmed that the move is going to happen in the “very-near future” and while the timeframe is not currently 100% definite, an inside source stated; “it is very likely to take place at the beginning of the 2026-27 School year”.
The Hopkinton Hillers have been in the Tri Valley League (TVL) since its founding in 1966 along with Bellingham, Dover-Sherborn, Holliston, Medfield, Medway, Millis and Norton. Ashland joined the TVL in the early 1970’s, shortly after the league’s creation and met up with Hopkinton on the Football gridiron in their annual Thanksgiving classic game for the 100th time in 2024. Time will tell if the cross-town Thanksgiving Day rivalry game between Hopkinton & Ashland will continue despite Hopkinton’s reported move to the Bay State Conference (BSC) league but the beloved traditional game could eventually be forced to a halt due to various league regulations and preferences. All current teams in the Bay State Conference and Tri-Valley League currently compete in Thanksgiving football games with Intraleague opponents. The Hopkinton high school athletic schedule will certainly have major changes with its move to the BSC and the change likely marks the end of annual regular season games with most TVL opponents for the foreseeable future.
Due to MIAA (Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association) state tournament regulation changes, Hopkinton’s growing student population has put the majority of Hopkinton High School athletic teams in Division 1 (D1) for Girls teams & a split of Division 1 & 2 for Boys teams in state tournament (playoff) brackets. Hopkinton is currently the only team in the Tri-Valley League to qualify for the D1 state tournament in any sport. The MIAA playoff system is largely based on school population and Hopkinton’s move to the Bay State Conference could perhaps be an effort to increase athletic competitions with schools of similarly-sized student population.
Despite having the largest student population in the TVL, Hopkinton has qualified for the state tournament in most sports since the MIAA postseason changes were implemented. Hiller athletic teams have been able to maintain a very impressive playoff-qualifying ranking in nearly all of their MIAA division brackets. The MIAA regulations have perhaps most affected Hiller Football since only the top 16 teams ranked in each division are able to compete in the MIAA Football playoff system. (In all other sports, the top 32 teams in each division & teams with a record .500 (50%) or better qualify for the MIAA State Tournament)
Last year, 14 out of the 16 qualifying Hiller athletic teams were able to clinch an MIAA state tournament spot, the first-year Hiller Boys Volleyball team and the 2 Win & 9 Loss football team were the only two qualifying Hopkinton Hiller Athletic programs that failed to reach state tournament contention. In the current Fall 2025-26 season, 4 out of the 5 qualifying Hopkinton Hiller teams are expected to advance to their division’s MIAA State Tournament with the outlier being the Hiller football team.
Ricky Andrade became the Hopkinton High School Athletic Director (A.D.) in July 2023 after spending nearly 6 years at Needham High School where he served as a Soccer Coach, a Teaching Assistant, Unified Sports Coach and Assistant Athletic Director during his tenure. Hiller A.D. Ricky Andrade will soon compete against his former employer as the Hopkinton Hillers will join Needham amongst 9 other teams in the Bay State Conference in the near future.
More updates about this story coming soon!
