Illinois High School Association expands football playoffs

The Illinois High School Association (IHSA) has expanded its high school football playoff field from 32 to 48 teams for the upcoming season. Under this new format, the top sixteen teams receive first-round byes, while the remaining 32 teams begin postseason play this weekend.

Separately, the IHSA Competitive Balance Committee is considering a policy change to reshape postseason brackets for bracketed team sports. The proposal suggests placing all private, or “non-boundaried,” schools into their own quadrant within each classification. This structure would ensure only one private school advances to the state semifinal round in each class, though public and private schools would continue to compete for the same single state championship.

IHSA Executive Director Craig Anderson noted that the goal is to allow public schools to pursue regional and sectional success against similar schools, addressing perceptions of competitive advantages held by private institutions. The proposal will be presented to member schools at town hall meetings in November.