FHSAA approves Open Division format for high school football playoffs
Yahoo Sports • 1 min read • Latest: Jun 10, 2026, 2:17 PM
Last updated Jun 10, 2026
The Florida High School Athletic Association's Board of Directors approved the Open Division format on June 9, which will be implemented for the upcoming season. This format allows the top eight teams in the MaxPreps statewide rankings to compete for the title in a round-robin structure. If it had been in place during the 2025 season, it could have altered the playoff outcomes significantly, particularly impacting teams like Miami Northwestern and St. Thomas Aquinas. The Open Division aims to enhance competition among top-ranked teams.
- •Open Division takes top eight teams based on MaxPreps rankings.
- •Miami Northwestern and St. Thomas Aquinas would face different playoff scenarios.
- •Format features two pools for round-robin competition.
- •Implementation begins this fall.
- 2:17 PMYahoo Sports — FHSAA football Open Division would have turned 2025 playoffs upside down
"Three 2025 FHSAA state champions would have been in the new eight-team Open Division, leaving the state with very different playoff outcomes.
Sources
External linksOriginal reporting and copyright belong to the linked sources. SportsNewsReport.com aggregates and links — it does not republish full articles.
Related Stories
Last 14 days
NBA•Oct 18, 2026, 7:00 PMIn case you missed it, R10: Hawks stumble in finals race, Dees' statement, Crows remain in mix
NBA•Oct 18, 2026, 2:37 PMFormer Providence star Devin Carter gets a fresh NBA shot in Boston
NBA•Oct 18, 2026, 12:33 PMBen Simmons calls Doc Rivers a 'piece of sh*t' over comments following 2021 playoff elimination
NBA•Oct 18, 2026, 6:05 AMHawks stumble in finals race as Giants prevail in one-point epic
NBA•Oct 18, 2026, 2:00 AMHouston Rockets jersey history No. 34 - Ron Behagen (1977)
NBA•Oct 18, 2026, 1:15 AMMavericks waived Seth Lundy today but I'm told he has …