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Florida’s first Open Division football playoffs will give eight teams a different path to a state championship, beginning with three weeks of pool play before the tournament shifts to single elimination.
Unlike the traditional Class 1A–6A playoffs, a loss in the opening round will not automatically end a team’s season. Qualifiers will face every opponent in their assigned pool, with the top two finishers from each group advancing to the semifinals.
The FHSAA will announce the field and seeds Friday, Nov. 6, at 5 p.m. ET. Here is how the new postseason format will work.
The FHSAA uses the MaxPreps rankings at the conclusion of the regular season to select the eight qualifying teams, regardless of classification.
Those programs will leave their traditional class brackets to compete for the Open Division championship. Classes 1A–6A will continue to hold separate state championship tournaments.
The official reveal will confirm the eight qualifiers and their seeds, which determine pool assignments and the order of opponents.
The field is divided into two four-team pools based on seeding. Pool A will include the No. 1, No. 4, No. 5, and No. 8 seeds, while Pool B will consist of the No. 2, No. 3, No. 6, and No. 7 seeds.
Each team will play the other three members of its pool once, with the top two finishers advancing to the state semifinals. Every qualifier is also guaranteed at least one home game during pool play.
The two teams with the best records in each pool advance. If teams finish tied for an advancing position, the FHSAA’s tiebreaking procedure determines their placement.
Pool play is scheduled for Nov. 13, Nov. 20, and Nov. 27, with four games each week.
Nov. 13: Pool A opens with No. 1 vs. No. 5 and No. 4 vs. No. 8. In Pool B, No. 2 faces No. 6, while No. 3 meets No. 7.
Nov. 20: No. 1 plays No. 8 and No. 4 faces No. 5 in Pool A. Pool B continues with No. 2 vs. No. 7 and No. 3 vs. No. 6.
Nov. 27: The final pool games pair No. 1 against No. 4 and No. 5 against No. 8 in Pool A. Pool B concludes with No. 2 vs. No. 3 and No. 6 vs. No. 7.
A pool-play loss does not automatically eliminate a team from championship contention.
Because two teams advance from each group, a program can recover from an opening defeat and still reach the semifinals. A 2-1 finish, for example, could secure an advancing position outright or create a tie that requires additional criteria.
That gives the second and third pool games significance even for teams that lose their opener. Advancement depends on the complete pool standings rather than one result.
The FHSAA will apply the following criteria in order:
A three-team tie shows why the final scores could become important. If three teams finish 2-1 and each has beaten one of the other tied teams, their head-to-head records would be identical.
The next criterion would compare points allowed in the games involving those tied teams. That makes defensive performance potentially decisive when wins and losses alone cannot separate the standings.
The semifinals are scheduled for Dec. 5 at The Range at H.G. Morse Stadium in Sumterville.
The Pool A winner will face the Pool B runner-up, while the Pool B winner will meet the Pool A runner-up. From that stage forward, a loss ends a team’s season.
The two semifinal winners advance to the Open Division championship Dec. 12 at South Dade Kia Field at Pitbull Stadium in Miami.
Each finalist will play five postseason games: three pool contests, a semifinal, and the championship. The opening stage allows a team to overcome a setback, but winning the title will require consecutive victories once the tournament reaches its final four.
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