COLUMBUS, Ohio — Ohio High School Athletic Association executive director Doug Ute said Thursday morning he anticipates an early June decision regarding whether the number of football playoff qualifiers will be changed for the upcoming season.
Ute told the OHSAA Media Advisory Committee Thursday morning in Columbus that there is “serious discussion” about potentially reducing the number of playoff qualifiers from 16 to 12 teams in each region.
The OHSAA board of directors has a regularly scheduled meeting June 13 at 8:30 a.m. in Akron. That is also the week of the baseball state tournament in Northeast Ohio.
If the OHSAA board of directors decides to approve a football regulation that reduces the number of playoff qualifiers to 12 teams in each region, then the first round of the postseason would be reduced by 56 games or 112 schools overall.
Thursday was the first time the OHSAA publicly acknowledged an anticipated June decision by the board of directors.
Since 2021, 16 playoff qualifiers in each region have qualified for the football playoffs in each of the seven tournament divisions.
Rugg told the Ohio Prep Sports Media Association (OPSMA) May 1 that 12 playoff qualifiers in each region is a possible scenario for this upcoming season. Rugg said at the time he wanted to do a deeper dive on a football survey sent to member schools. Approximately 1,000 participants completed the online form.
“I think there is certainly a push on the 12,” Rugg told WCPO 9 Sports May 1. “Some of the things we’ll always look at is — especially (OHSAA executive director) Doug (Ute) and I both — are concerned about those teams that really want to have an opportunity. Now does that mean they get a different type of opportunity and we give them another game? I don’t know. I think there is a lot on the table that we got to discuss.”
The OHSAA has never had 12 teams per region qualify for the postseason in its football history.
In May 2020, the OHSAA announced 12 teams per region would qualify for the 2021 season, but it was never implemented during games. That was an increase from eight teams per region, which had been the standard since 1999.
Then, the OHSAA announced in April 2021 the number of qualifiers would expand to 16 per region. That occurred after every team was allowed to qualify for the 2020 postseason due to the shortened COVID-19 year.
Ute said in April 2021 the organization received “overwhelmingly positive feedback” from allowing every team to enter the 2020 playoffs and the decision was made to allow 16 qualifiers in each region for the 2021 season.
The expansion increased the number of football playoff qualifiers from 224 to 448 starting in the 2021 season.
The OHSAA football playoffs began in 1972 when only 12 schools qualified for the playoffs (four schools in each of three classes).
