A season that could now end in Bangor is a different feeling for many Kennebec Valley Athletic Conference basketball players. For Lawrence girls coach Greg Chesley, though, it’s a throwback.

Chesley played for Lawrence in the 1980s, when the Maine high school basketball tournament was in its heyday at the Bangor Auditorium. Now, after two decades of tourney games at the Augusta Civic Center, the Bulldogs will compete to play in Bangor in February as members of the revamped Class B.

“I know it seems like 150 years ago, but going back there is nice,” Chesley said. “I think it’s going to change the season in that there’s going to be a lot of parity. It’s not like it’s getting easier for us because we’re going from A to B.”

The latest reclassification shuffle has changed things for most teams, but especially for Lawrence, Cony, Gardiner and Nokomis, who are all now in B North. No longer competing against larger schools like Messalonskee, Mt. Blue and Skowhegan, the new Class B schools immediately become some of the defining members of the transformed region.

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The transition to a five-class system for basketball in 2015 created a central Maine-heavy Class A North. At first, the area had nine of the region’s 14 teams (the seven aforementioned schools along with Erskine Academy and Waterville), and even as some of the others changed classes, those core seven made up the bulk of the field.

That changes this year. Instead of facing larger schools at the Augusta Civic Center in the postseason, the B North teams instead go to the Cross Insurance Center, where foes such as Ellsworth, Hermon, John Bapst, Mount Desert Island and Presque Isle await.

“For a long time, with 10 teams in A North, you kind of knew what you were getting into every night,” said Nokomis boys coach Josh Grant. “Now, you get to that point when it’s the tournament, and there’s a lot of teams you’re going to have to scout. It’s totally different.”

The regular season is, too. The Nokomis boys, for instance, no longer play Messalonskee, Mt. Blue, Brewer, Camden Hills, Hampden or Lewiston. Instead, they’ll face Erskine, Maine Central Institute, Mount View, Winslow, Oceanside, Hermon, MDI and Old Town.

The Gardiner boys, who won’t play a single team that remained in Class A North, have a similar story. The Tigers will play Belfast, Oceanside, Leavitt, Lincoln Academy, Medomak Valley and Brunswick and have also picked up non-conference games against Hermon, Freeport and Poland.

“It’s unique, but we do have some of the teams we’re used to playing joining us in Class B, and we have familiarity with some of those other teams through summer league,” said Gardiner coach Aaron Toman. “We’re going to challenge it head-on. It’s not going to be a cakewalk, by any means.”

Yes, even if they won’t be facing larger schools, the B North newcomers don’t think for a second they won’t be in for a fight. The Ellsworth, Hermon and MDI boys are powers that won’t be fazed by their new KVAC challengers, nor will the Erskine, Ellsworth, Hermon, MDI, Old Town and Presque Isle girls.

“I think it’s going to make it even more exciting than it already was,” said Erskine girls coach Danielle Lefferts, whose team was the B North runner-up last season. “You throw in some of the bigger teams like Lawrence and Gardiner, and it’s anybody’s class. … It’s a fun mix of the KVAC and the Big East.”

Although the newcomers feel the competition won’t be easier, there is a key difference. In Class A North, Cony, Gardiner, Lawrence and Nokomis were among the smallest schools. In B North, Cony (enrollment 647), Nokomis (614) and Gardiner (583) are the three largest.

“We’re one of the biggest schools in Class B now, so that’s a change,” said Seth Bowden, a senior forward for the Nokomis boys. “I think going from Augusta to Bangor is pretty cool, but other than that, I don’t think we care too much either way. At the end of the day, it’s still basketball.”

Expect the KVAC greenhorns to contend immediately. The Cony and Gardiner boys might be two of the strongest teams in Class B North and will challenge Ellsworth and Hermon. On the girls side, Cony and Lawrence will be right there with Erskine, Ellsworth and MDI.

The returning B North teams, Lefferts added, might have an edge in February thanks to their familiarity with Cross Insurance Center. Still, the new arrivals have the talent and experience to be right there at the top — and hope to add a new dimension to February in the Queen City.

“It’s a little weird, but I’m pretty good with it,” said Lawrence senior Maddie Provost. “We’ve obviously played a lot at (the Augusta Civic Center), but it’s something new, and there’s still some pretty good teams (in Bangor) that we’ll be excited to compete with.”