The brackets are set, the regular season is winding down and the road to seven New Jersey high school football state championships is about to begin.

The 2026 New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association football playoffs kick off Friday, Oct. 30, with opening-round games continuing Saturday, Oct. 31, across five public-school groups.

A total of 160 public-school teams qualified for the postseason, with 32 teams competing in each group. The field is divided into four eight-team sectional brackets, meaning teams must first win a sectional championship before advancing to the state semifinals.

Several of the state's traditional powers enter the postseason with championship aspirations, including Toms River North, Winslow Township, Ramapo, Phillipsburg, Camden, Rumson-Fair Haven and Glassboro.

The postseason also features several intriguing opening-round matchups, with higher-seeded teams hosting games in each of the 20 public-school sections.

The non-public tournaments will begin a week later, following the announcement of their official brackets Nov. 1.

All seven state championship games are scheduled for Nov. 28-29 at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford.

Here is a group-by-group look at the 2026 New Jersey high school football playoff brackets, opening-round matchups and the road to the state championships.

Group 5 New Jersey High School Football Playoff Bracket

Group 5 features some of the state's largest and most successful football programs, including Toms River North, Phillipsburg, Ramapo, Rancocas Valley and Washington Township.

Ramapo earned the top seed in North Jersey, Section 1 and opens against Franklin, while Elizabeth leads North Jersey, Section 2 and will host Linden.

Old Bridge secured the No. 1 seed in Central Jersey and faces Lenape in the opening round.

Washington Township leads the South Jersey bracket and will host South Brunswick.

One of the more intriguing first-round games features Ridgewood traveling to Phillipsburg, while Toms River North opens against Manalapan.

Group 5 First-Round Matchups

North Jersey, Section 1

• No. 8 Franklin at No. 1 Ramapo
• No. 5 Perth Amboy at No. 4 Irvington
• No. 6 Bayonne at No. 3 Piscataway
• No. 7 Union at No. 2 West Orange

North Jersey, Section 2

• No. 8 Linden at No. 1 Elizabeth
• No. 5 Bridgewater-Raritan at No. 4 Passaic Tech
• No. 6 Ridgewood at No. 3 Phillipsburg
• No. 7 Union City at No. 2 East Orange

Central Jersey

• No. 8 Lenape at No. 1 Old Bridge
• No. 5 Freehold Township at No. 4 Williamstown
• No. 6 Vineland at No. 3 Sayreville
• No. 7 Jackson Township at No. 2 Rancocas Valley

South Jersey

• No. 8 South Brunswick at No. 1 Washington Township
• No. 5 Eastern at No. 4 Egg Harbor Township
• No. 6 Manalapan at No. 3 Toms River North
• No. 7 Trenton at No. 2 Southern Regional

Group 4 New Jersey High School Football Playoff Bracket

Group 4 features several intriguing championship contenders, including Winslow Township, Brick Memorial, Shawnee, Roxbury and Northern Highlands.

Brick Memorial earned the No. 1 seed in Central Jersey and will open against Absegami.

Winslow Township, which captured the 2025 Group 4 state championship, begins its title defense against Toms River South as the No. 2 seed in South Jersey.

Shawnee leads the South Jersey bracket and opens against Howell.

In North Jersey, Roxbury and Middletown North earned the top seeds in their respective sections.

Group 4 First-Round Matchups

North Jersey, Section 1

• No. 8 Carteret at No. 1 Roxbury
• No. 5 Ridge at No. 4 Middletown South
• No. 6 Summit at No. 3 Morris Knolls
• No. 7 Woodbridge at No. 2 Northern Highlands

North Jersey, Section 2

• No. 8 Watchung Hills at No. 1 Middletown North
• No. 5 Garfield at No. 4 Teaneck
• No. 6 Montgomery at No. 3 Chatham
• No. 7 Mount Olive at No. 2 Rahway

Central Jersey

• No. 8 Absegami at No. 1 Brick Memorial
• No. 5 Pennsauken at No. 4 Millville
• No. 6 Hammonton at No. 3 Atlantic City
• No. 7 Moorestown at No. 2 Northern Burlington

South Jersey

• No. 8 Howell at No. 1 Shawnee
• No. 5 Steinert at No. 4 Marlboro
• No. 6 Clearview at No. 3 Bridgeton
• No. 7 Toms River South at No. 2 Winslow Township

Group 3 New Jersey High School Football Playoff Bracket

Group 3 features several programs with championship aspirations, including Old Tappan, West Essex, Hopewell Valley, Camden, Seneca and Oakcrest.

Old Tappan earned the top seed in North Jersey, Section 1 and opens against Paramus.

West Essex leads North Jersey, Section 2 and will host Weequahic.

In Central Jersey, Hopewell Valley secured the No. 1 seed and will face Deptford, while Camden opens against Barnegat.

Seneca leads the South Jersey bracket and will host Ewing in the opening round.

Group 3 First-Round Matchups

North Jersey, Section 1

• No. 8 Paramus at No. 1 Old Tappan
• No. 5 Morris Hills at No. 4 West Morris
• No. 6 Wayne Valley at No. 3 Shabazz
• No. 7 Matawan at No. 2 Cranford

North Jersey, Section 2

• No. 8 Weequahic at No. 1 West Essex
• No. 5 Montville at No. 4 River Dell
• No. 6 Somerville at No. 3 Holmdel
• No. 7 Parsippany Hills at No. 2 Wayne Hills

Central Jersey

• No. 8 Deptford at No. 1 Hopewell Valley
• No. 5 Brick Township at No. 4 Burlington Township
• No. 6 Pleasantville at No. 3 Ocean City
• No. 7 Barnegat at No. 2 Camden

South Jersey

• No. 8 Ewing at No. 1 Seneca
• No. 5 Delran at No. 4 Timber Creek
• No. 6 Triton at No. 3 Pinelands
• No. 7 Red Bank Regional at No. 2 Oakcrest

Group 2 New Jersey High School Football Playoff Bracket

Group 2 features several traditional small-school powers, including Rumson-Fair Haven, Westwood, Caldwell, Haddonfield and Camden Eastside.

Westwood leads North Jersey, Section 1 and opens against Hackettstown.

Waldwick/Midland Park earned the top seed in North Jersey, Section 2 and faces Indian Hills.

Glassboro leads the Central Jersey bracket and opens against Overbrook, while West Deptford earned the top seed in South Jersey and will host Haddon Heights.

Rumson-Fair Haven, one of the state's most successful postseason programs, begins its tournament against Sterling.

Group 2 First-Round Matchups

North Jersey, Section 1

• No. 8 Hackettstown at No. 1 Westwood
• No. 5 Vernon at No. 4 Lakeland
• No. 6 Hillside at No. 3 Rutherford
• No. 7 High Point at No. 2 Caldwell

North Jersey, Section 2

• No. 8 Indian Hills at No. 1 Waldwick/Midland Park
• No. 5 Becton at No. 4 New Providence
• No. 6 Hanover Park at No. 3 Bernards
• No. 7 Ramsey at No. 2 Hoboken

Central Jersey

• No. 8 Overbrook at No. 1 Glassboro
• No. 5 Manasquan at No. 4 Gloucester City
• No. 6 Lower Cape May at No. 3 Point Pleasant Borough
• No. 7 Sterling at No. 2 Rumson-Fair Haven

South Jersey

• No. 8 Haddon Heights at No. 1 West Deptford
• No. 5 Wall at No. 4 Monmouth Regional
• No. 6 Ocean Township at No. 3 Camden Eastside
• No. 7 Johnson at No. 2 Haddonfield

Group 1 New Jersey High School Football Playoff Bracket

Group 1 features several of New Jersey's most successful small-school football programs, including Glassboro, Cedar Grove, Salem, Schalick and Delaware Valley.

Newton earned the top seed in North Jersey, Section 1 and opens against Verona.

Cedar Grove leads North Jersey, Section 2 and will host Glen Ridge.

In Central Jersey, Paulsboro secured the No. 1 seed and faces Point Pleasant Beach, while Schalick earned the top seed in South Jersey and will host Maple Shade.

Several first-round matchups could produce competitive games, including Shore Regional's trip to Manville and Clayton's visit to Audubon.

Group 1 First-Round Matchups

North Jersey, Section 1

• No. 8 Verona at No. 1 Newton
• No. 5 Kinnelon at No. 4 Boonton
• No. 6 Hawthorne at No. 3 Wallkill Valley
• No. 7 Belvidere at No. 2 New Milford

North Jersey, Section 2

• No. 8 Glen Ridge at No. 1 Cedar Grove
• No. 5 Mountain Lakes at No. 4 Wood-Ridge
• No. 6 Dayton at No. 3 Butler
• No. 7 Pompton Lakes at No. 2 Hasbrouck Heights

Central Jersey

• No. 8 Point Pleasant Beach at No. 1 Paulsboro
• No. 5 Clayton at No. 4 Audubon
• No. 6 Highland Park at No. 3 Woodstown
• No. 7 Penns Grove at No. 2 Salem

South Jersey

• No. 8 Maple Shade at No. 1 Schalick
• No. 5 Shore Regional at No. 4 Manville
• No. 6 Burlington City at No. 3 Pennsville
• No. 7 Gateway Regional at No. 2 Delaware Valley

Non-Public A New Jersey High School Football Playoff Bracket

The Non-Public A tournament traditionally features some of the state's most prominent football programs, including Bergen Catholic, Don Bosco Prep, St. Joseph Regional, Seton Hall Prep and Delbarton.

The official 2026 bracket will be seeded Sunday, Nov. 1, following the conclusion of the non-public regular-season qualifying period.

Opening-round games are scheduled for Nov. 6-7.

Non-Public B New Jersey High School Football Playoff Bracket

The Non-Public B tournament features another group of private-school programs competing for a state championship.

The official tournament field and opening-round matchups will be finalized Sunday, Nov. 1.

First-round games begin Nov. 6-7, with the tournament progressing through the state semifinals before the championship game at MetLife Stadium.

2026 New Jersey High School Football Playoff Schedule

Public-school tournament

• Oct. 30-31: Sectional quarterfinals
• Nov. 6-7: Sectional semifinals
• Nov. 13-14: Sectional championships
• Nov. 20-21: State semifinals
• Nov. 28-29: State championship games at MetLife Stadium

Non-public tournament

• Nov. 1: Official tournament seeding
• Nov. 6-7: Opening round
• Nov. 13-14: Second round
• Nov. 20-21: State semifinals
• Nov. 28-29: State championship games at MetLife Stadium

What's Next in the New Jersey High School Football Playoffs?

The first round of the 2026 New Jersey high school football playoffs begins Friday, Oct. 30, with additional games scheduled for Saturday, Oct. 31.

The public-school field will be reduced from 160 teams to 80 after the opening round, with sectional semifinal games scheduled for Nov. 6-7.

The non-public tournaments begin the following weekend, following the release of their official brackets Nov. 1.

All seven state champions will be crowned Nov. 28-29 at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford.

High School On SI will continue following the New Jersey high school football playoffs with updated brackets, scores and championship matchups throughout the postseason.