The Nebraska School Activities Association provided a break from winter by releasing the high school football schedules for the 2012 and 2013 seasons on Thursday.

Teams in classes A and B will continue to have 9-game regular seasons, while classes C-1, C-2, D-1 and D-2 play eight games.

Grand Island Senior High gained Lincoln Southwest, Omaha Westside, Fremont and Lincoln North Star to its schedule. Those teams replace Omaha Bryan, Columbus, Lincoln East and Lincoln Southeast.

Northwest adds Sidney, Gering and Class B newcomer Columbus and loses Crete, Seward and Alliance.

Grand Island Central Catholic changes half of its opponents. The Crusaders gain Columbus Scotus, Central City, Adams Central and Boone Central/Newman Grove and lose Centennial, Fairbury, Centura and Sandy Creek.

Heartland Lutheran adds Parkview Christian, Giltner, Cedar Valley and Fullerton. Those opponents replace Sumner-Eddyville-Miller, Litchfield, Lindsay Holy Family and Loup City.

Among other schedule highlights:

-- In the starting out the season with a bang department, Aurora opens against McCook the next two seasons in the latest installment of what has become a great rivalry in Class B.

-- After four years of playing in Class B, Adams Central returns to Class C-1 with a Week 1 game against Cozad.

-- The new Boone Central/Newman Grove co-op will get an early challenge. After playing West Point-Beemer in Week 0, it takes on perennial Class C-1 state title contenders Pierce and Norfolk Catholic in back-to-back weeks.

-- Another team with tough back-to-back early season challenges will be Ravenna. The Bluejays face Hastings St. Cecilia and North Platte St. Patrick's in weeks 2 and 3.

-- In Class D-1, new co-op Ansley-Litchfield will open against Burwell in Week 0. It could get confusing in district play when three of the last four opponents are South Loup, Twin Loup and Loup City.

-- Twin Loup, a co-op made up of D-2 champion Sargent and Loup County, debuts against Chambers/Wheeler Central in Week 0.

-- The Cedar Valley co-op, made up of former 6-man teams Greeley-Wolbach and Cedar Rapids, debuts against Nebraska Lutheran in Class D-2.

-- The Week 3 game between Giltner and Kenesaw could be one of the top Class D-2 meetings over the next two years.

-- Complete class schedules can be found at www.nsaahome.org/fb.php.