The CIF-Central Coast Section has realigned into four conferences this season, but there will still be no postseason playoff tournament to determine a CIF champion, Bellarmine Prep head coach Brad Lipscomb said.

The Peninsula Athletic League has been disbanded, and teams that formerly played in that conference will now participate in either the West Catholic Athletic League or the Santa Clara Valley Athletic League.

The WCAL will be the toughest conference in the section, with state powerhouse St. Ignatius Prep giving up its independent status to join the league. Three-time defending PAL champion Bellarmine Prep will also be in the new WCAL, as will San Mateo Serra, Archbishop Mitty and San Jose St. Francis, which will be fielding its first varsity team this season.

“We’re extremely excited the WCAL is now online, even though it means we now have to beat St. Ignatius to win a league title,” Lipscomb said. “We feel the competition is only going to make us better.”

In the 12-team SCVAL, Menlo School will be the early favorite. The Knights have been to the PAL championship game six straight seasons, having won in 2006, 2005 and 2004. They will be joined by Burlingame, Gunn, Leland, Los Altos, Los Gatos, Menlo-Atherton, Mountain View, Palo Alto, Saratoga, Woodside and Woodside Priory, Menlo head coach Todd Blumbergs said.

The other two conferences, the Mission Trails Athletic League and the Santa Cruz Coast Athletic League, will remain the same as last year.

There will be 29 boys varsity teams in the Central Coast Section this season, an all-time high.