OHSAA survey asks football member schools for feedback on playoff format

 

OHSAA member schools, Avon and Cincinnati Anderson compete in 2025 Division II State Championship at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium. (Photo: Gene Simmons/Ohsfbmedia.com)

COLUMBUS, Ohio--The Ohio High School Athletic Association on April 21 sent surveys to the head football coach, athletic director, and principal at each of its member schools, the goal was to get feedback on the current playoff format as reported by the Columbus Dispatch.

From 1999 to 2019 the top eight teams in each region advanced to the playoffs, in 2020 the entire member school field qualified for the post season due a shortened season (6 weeks) due to Covid-19 pandemic.

Since 2021 the playoff format has been the top 16 teams in each region, of which four regions are divided into seven divisions. 

Some of the questions included on the survey were:

• Do you believe a 10-week regular season football schedule is too long?
• Do you believe a six-week tournament to become a football state champion is too long?
• Did your school qualify for the playoffs in the last years? (This question is followed by two more asking the best and worst seed a given program has earned within that time frame.)
• What is your preference on the number of qualifiers per region? (Choices are 16 or 12 with a first-round bye for the top four teams. Respondents can submit a different number in general comments at the end of the survey.)
• If the number of qualifiers were reduced to 12 teams, would you prefer to have a first-round bye as one of the top four seeds of a region?

The OHSAA asked that this survey be completed by April 28, and sure there will be some mixed reviews about the qualifying teams in each region, it's been a hot topic. 

Division I consists of 18, 17, 18, and 18 teams in the four regions, while division II-VII houses 20-plus teams in each region, in the remaining divisions.