OHSAA to expand football playoffs, adjust regional format
Apr. 22—COLUMBUS — The Ohio High School Athletic Association Board of Directors approved the 2021 football tournament regulations Thursday during its April Board meeting that included proposals from the OHSAA staff to increase the number of playoff qualifiers and change the format of the regional playoffs.
The number of playoff qualifiers will expand to 16 schools per region. In addition, the higher seeded team will host first and second round playoff games, instead of only the first round, before neutral sites are used beginning with the regional semifinals. In the first round, the No. 16 seed will play at the No. 1 seed, the No. 15 seed will play at the No. 2 seed, etc.
A survey the Ohio High School Football Coaches Association sent out to head coaches about the playoffs was completed by 442 head coaches. The results of that survey were 55 percent for a 12-team format.
"Last fall we received overwhelmingly positive feedback when we allowed every team to enter the football playoffs due to the shortened season because of COVID-19," said Doug Ute, OHSAA Executive Director. "We know there are some who want to keep the football postseason to a smaller number of schools, but the postseason tournament gives such a positive experience for our student-athletes, the schools and their communities that we felt strongly about giving that opportunity to more schools to make the playoffs. And football remains the only OHSAA sport in which not every team automatically qualifies for the postseason."
The OHSAA is also exploring adding a strength of schedule component to the Harbin computer ratings, which are used to determine the playoff qualifiers. A strength of schedule component could be added in 2022.
Norwalk coach Todd Fox, who has led the Truckers to the playoffs in his first three seasons at the school, says he's trying to keep an open mind about the playoff expansion and says players will be excited to make the postseason no matter their seed.
"The idea of 1 versus 16 can be pretty dicey," Fox said. "We have to see how it plays out."
Fox said the new plan could make scheduling easier. When eight teams per region qualified for the playoffs, some coaches hesitated to schedule challenging games, instead looking for sure playoff computer points.
"That's the big bonus (in the new plan)," Fox said. "Teams will be more willing to play and you can get some good matchups."
Norwalk's non-conference slate in 2021 includes Mansfield Senior, Huron, Olmsted Falls, Edison and perennial power Bishop Hartley from Columbus.
The site of the state championship games has not yet been determined, but the format will include one game on Thursday, Dec. 2, and two games each on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, Dec. 3-5.
During the regional semifinals and regional finals at neutral sites, the higher seeded team will be the designated home team. The OHSAA then determines the sites and matchups for the state semifinals.
The expansion will increase the number of football playoff qualifiers from 224 to 448. Last year there were 709 schools in Ohio that played 11-man football. Since 1999, eight schools in each region have qualified for the playoffs.
In May 2020, the OHSAA announced that the football playoffs would expand to 12 teams per region in 2021 and the top four seeds in each region would have a first-round bye. Expanding to 16 schools per region does not add a week to the postseason since it was already now six weeks, it simply eliminates the byes.
Last season, the OHSAA shortened the schedule to six regular season games, followed by all schools being put in the playoffs for the first and only time ever. Teams were then allowed to play additional regular season games for the following four weeks to reach 10 games if they were eliminated from the playoffs.
The nine Reflector area teams went 6-3 in the first round of the playoffs. Among the highlights, Norwalk and St. Paul hosting and winning playoff games at the newly-renovated Contractors Stadium at the Warren C. Whitney Athletic Complex.
Playing on turf for the first time in the playoffs, the Truckers (5-4) won a thrilling 17-10 game over Copley (8-2), while the Flyers (6-3) rolled past Salineville Southern, 48-14.
In Div. VII, South Central had never made the playoffs and went 0-6 in the regular season with numerous last-minute losses. However, the Trojans crushed Fairport Harding for their first-ever playoff win, then nearly upset Malvern, falling 35-26.
Plymouth also hosted at Alumni Field at the high school for the first time after the Big Red moved from Mary Fate Park to the school. The Big Red crushed Lisbon David Anderson, 46-12, before falling at Dalton in the next round.
Edison (35-28 vs. Clear Fork) and Western Reserve (41-7 vs. Margaretta) also won first-round home games in Div. IV and Div. VI, respectively.
The format also made for some travel headaches, however.
St. Paul traveled 108 miles to Warren, losing 27-21 to eventual state runners-up John F. Kennedy in the final minute of a second-round game. The Trojans traveled 93 miles to the game at Fairport Harding and 87 miles to Malvern.
Both New London (109 miles) and Western Reserve (99 miles) each went to Liberty Center, while Willard also made the 90-mile trek to Lewistown Indian Lake in the first round.
During the first five rounds of the playoffs, Division I, II, III and IV schools will play on Friday nights, while Division V, VI and VII schools will play on Saturday nights.
The OHSAA football playoffs began in 1972 when only 12 schools qualified for the playoffs (four schools in each of three classes). Expansion first came in 1980 when the OHSAA changed to five divisions with eight teams each (40 total qualifiers). A sixth division was added in 1994 (96 total qualifiers) and the number of qualifiers was increased to eight schools per region in 1999 (192 total qualifiers). A seventh division was added in 2013 to bring the number of qualifiers to 224.
As a reminder, in January the Board approved the general football regulations, which permit schools to fulfill two of the required five acclimatization days in July in advance of official practice beginning on Sunday, August 1. Two scrimmages are permitted between Aug. 6-14, with either or both scrimmages permitted to be jamboree games.
The first Friday of the regular-season is Aug. 20, and the regular-season will conclude on Saturday, October 23.
OHSAA football playoff schedule
Oct. 29-30: First Round at Higher Seeded Teams
Nov. 5-6: Regional Quarterfinals at Higher Seeded Teams
Nov. 12-13: Regional Semifinals at Neutral Sites
Nov. 19-20: Regional Finals at Neutral Sites
Nov. 26-27: State Semifinals at Neutral Sites
Dec. 2-5: State championships, Site TBD, one game Thursday, two games each day on Friday, Saturday and Sunday
