2026 MHSAA Football Playoff Pairings Announced
By
Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor
October 25, 2026
Here are the pairings for the 2026 MHSAA Football Playoffs, which begin Oct. 30 and 31 with District Semifinals in the 11-Player Playoffs and Regional Semifinals in the 8-Player Playoffs.
Teams were divided into divisions before the start of play this fall. The top 32 teams in each division in 11-player and top 16 per division in 8-player, based on playoff-point average, were selected to the field.
For 11-player, qualifiers were then divided into four regions with eight teams apiece, then placed into four-team Districts based on their seeds within the region. The 8-player qualifiers were divided into four regions with four teams in each.
Pairings for the first three weeks of the tournament are based on regular-season playoff-point averages, with the highest-ranked team hosting, regardless of the distance between the two schools. For 11-Player District Semifinals, the top-seeded team will host the eighth-seeded team, the second-seeded will host the seventh-seeded, the third-seeded with host the sixth-seeded, and the fourth-seeded team will host the fifth-seeded team. For 8-Player Regional Semifinal play, the top-seeded team in each bracket will host the fourth-seeded team, and the second-seeded team will host the third-seeded team.
District Finals for 11-player and Regional Finals for 8-player will follow during the weekend of Nov. 6-7, and the weekend of Nov. 13-14 will have Regional Finals in the 11-Player Playoffs and Semifinals in the 8-Player Playoffs. The 8-Player Semifinals will pair the winners of Region 1 vs. Region 2 and the winners of Region 3 vs. Region 4 at neutral sites assigned by the MHSAA.
Semifinal games in the 11-Player Playoffs will take place Nov. 20-21, pairing the winners of Region 1 vs. Region 2 and the winners of Region 3 vs. Region 4. The MHSAA also will assign 11-Player Semifinals at neutral sites.
All playoff tickets except for Finals (both 11 and 8-player) will be sold online only via GoFan.
For 11-Player, tickets to District Semifinals and District Finals cost $8, tickets to Regional Finals are $10, and tickets to Semifinals cost $12. For 8-player, tickets for Regional Semifinals are $8, tickets for Regional Finals are $10, and tickets for Semifinals cost $12.
The 8-Player Finals will take place Nov. 21 at Northern Michigan University’s Superior Dome in Marquette, and the 11-Player Finals will be played Nov. 27 and 28 at Ford Field in Detroit. An all-day ticket for 8-Player Finals costs $12 and includes admission to both games, and an all-day ticket for the 11-Player Finals costs $20 and includes admission to that day’s four games.
The 11-Player Finals schedule will be as follows:
Friday, Nov. 27
9:30 a.m. - Division 8
12:30 p.m. - Division 4
4 p.m. - Division 6
7 p.m. - Division 2
Saturday, Nov. 28
9:30 a.m. - Division 7
12:30 p.m. - Division 3
4 p.m. - Division 5
7 p.m. - Division 1
Pairings for both the 11 and 8-Player brackets are as follows:
11-Player Pairings
DIVISION 1
REGION 1
DISTRICT 1
Grandville (4-5) 54.778 at Howell (9-0) 87.000
Hudsonville (6-3) 66.778 at Portage Central (8-1) 72.667
DISTRICT 2
Brighton (5-4) 58.000 at East Kentwood (9-0) 83.667
Rockford (5-4) 61.444 at Grand Ledge (9-0) 75.111
REGION 2
DISTRICT 1
Bloomfield Hills (5-4) 52.222 at Clarkston (8-1) 82.889
Hartland (7-2) 71.556 at Grand Blanc (9-0) 78.139
DISTRICT 2
Lake Orion (4-5) 53.889 at Detroit Catholic Central (8-1) 79.681
Davison (7-2) 63.583 at Oxford (7-2) 78.778
REGION 3
DISTRICT 1
Plymouth (4-5) 51.333 at Detroit Cass Tech (9-0) 76.861
Belleville (6-3) 70.667 at Dearborn Fordson (7-2) 71.333
DISTRICT 2
Dearborn (5-4) 55.667 at Saline (9-0) 76.778
Brownstown Woodhaven (7-2) 66.000 at Northville (7-2) 74.000
REGION 4
DISTRICT 1
New Baltimore Anchor Bay (5-4) 54.778 at Romeo (9-0) 83.667
Macomb Dakota (5-4) 64.667 at Rochester (6-3) 67.444
DISTRICT 2
Macomb L'Anse Creuse North (6-3) 54.889 at Rochester Hills Stoney Creek (7-2) 72.111
Utica (6-3) 56.444 at Rochester Adams (6-3) 70.000
DIVISION 2
REGION 1
DISTRICT 1
Muskegon (4-5) 47.444 at Byron Center (7-2) 71.667
Portage Northern (5-4) 59.000 at Traverse City West (6-3) 63.889
DISTRICT 2
East Lansing (4-5) 48.667 at Caledonia (7-2) 70.903
Traverse City Central (4-5) 49.667 at Muskegon Mona Shores (8-1) 69.833
REGION 2
DISTRICT 1
Midland (4-5) 47.222 at Milford (8-1) 73.333
Walled Lake Western (7-2) 65.333 at Midland Dow (7-2) 66.222
DISTRICT 2
Flushing (5-4) 49.778 at South Lyon (7-2) 72.000
Saginaw Heritage (6-3) 60.917 at South Lyon East (7-2) 68.333
REGION 3
DISTRICT 1
Roseville (4-5) 53.778 at Bloomfield Hills Brother Rice (7-2) 66.889
North Farmington (6-3) 59.111 at Ferndale (7-2) 61.000
DISTRICT 2
Birmingham Groves (5-4) 54.556 at Orchard Lake St. Mary's (6-3) 65.667
Birmingham Seaholm (5-4) 56.444 at St. Clair Shores Lakeview (7-2) 62.111
REGION 4
DISTRICT 1
Detroit Mumford (5-4) 47.333 at Gibraltar Carlson (9-0) 77.444
Livonia Franklin (7-2) 63.111 at Allen Park (7-2) 64.111
DISTRICT 2
Dearborn Heights Crestwood (5-4) 53.556 at Grosse Pointe South (8-1) 71.889
Livonia Churchill (5-4) 54.889 at Temperance Bedford (7-2) 64.889
DIVISION 3
REGION 1
DISTRICT 1
Petoskey (6-3) 49.556 at Mount Pleasant (8-1) 69.556
Marquette (6-3) 54.000 at Cadillac (7-2) 58.222
DISTRICT 2
Lowell (6-3) 53.556 at DeWitt (7-2) 67.111
East Grand Rapids (6-3) 53.556 at Coopersville (8-1) 65.556
REGION 2
DISTRICT 1
Zeeland East (5-4) 45.889 at St. Joseph (7-2) 65.889
Coldwater (6-3) 48.333 at Middleville Thornapple Kellogg (6-3) 52.556
DISTRICT 2
Niles (4-5) 46.111 at Zeeland West (7-2) 61.972
Battle Creek Central (5-4) 47.556 at Battle Creek Harper Creek (6-3) 52.889
REGION 3
DISTRICT 1
Waterford Mott (5-4) 47.111 at Chelsea (9-0) 70.556
Linden (6-3) 56.889 at Redford Thurston (8-1) 57.111
DISTRICT 2
Dexter (4-5) 52.444 at Mason (8-1) 67.000
Holly (7-2) 55.444 at Fenton (7-2) 64.333
REGION 4
DISTRICT 1
New Boston Huron (6-3) 48.000 at Port Huron (9-0) 75.222
Warren De La Salle Collegiate (5-4) 55.524 at Trenton (5-4) 57.000
DISTRICT 2
Warren Fitzgerald (6-3) 48.556 at Harper Woods (7-2) 72.333
Grosse Pointe North (6-3) 52.333 at Detroit Martin Luther King (6-3) 66.556
DIVISION 4
REGION 1
DISTRICT 1
Grand Rapids Christian (4-5) 43.667 at Grand Rapids Kenowa Hills (8-1) 66.333
Fruitport (7-2) 47.778 at Ludington (7-2) 48.111
DISTRICT 2
Big Rapids (5-4) 44.111 at Ada Forest Hills Eastern (8-1) 60.556
Spring Lake (5-4) 46.333 at Hudsonville Unity Christian (5-4) 52.778
REGION 2
DISTRICT 1
Vicksburg (7-2) 58.889 at Edwardsburg (9-0) 66.111
Paw Paw (8-1) 62.778 at Portland (9-0) 63.778
DISTRICT 2
Hastings (7-2) 60.556 at Stevensville Lakeshore (8-1) 66.000
Marshall (8-1) 60.889 at Grand Rapids South Christian (8-1) 65.222
REGION 3
DISTRICT 1
Williamston (5-4) 45.444 at Goodrich (9-0) 66.667
Ortonville Brandon (6-3) 49.556 at St. Johns (7-2) 51.222
DISTRICT 2
Lansing Sexton (6-3) 46.333 at Dearborn Divine Child (8-1) 63.556
Tecumseh (6-3) 49.000 at Adrian (8-1) 59.778
REGION 4
DISTRICT 1
Detroit Southeastern (6-3) 45.667 at Marysville (5-4) 52.556
Macomb Lutheran North (8-1) 50.556 at Detroit East English (7-2) 51.333
DISTRICT 2
St. Clair (7-2) 47.444 at Detroit Cody (8-1) 52.556
Detroit Country Day (6-3) 48.000 at Madison Heights Lamphere (5-4) 51.667
DIVISION 5
REGION 1
DISTRICT 1
Howard City Tri County (5-4) 38.222 at Kingsford (9-0) 56.889
Negaunee (5-4) 40.556 at Shepherd (7-2) 46.222
DISTRICT 2
Remus Chippewa Hills (7-2) 39.778 at Muskegon Orchard View (7-2) 49.222
Reed City (6-3) 40.111 at Ogemaw Heights (7-2) 46.778
REGION 2
DISTRICT 1
Comstock Park (4-5) 38.111 at Grand Rapids Catholic Central (7-2) 65.194
Berrien Springs (8-1) 51.333 at Lake Odessa Lakewood (8-1) 54.000
DISTRICT 2
Wyoming Godwin Heights (7-2) 47.667 at Grand Rapids West Catholic (7-2) 59.556
Kalamazoo Hackett Catholic Prep (9-0) 48.613 at Hopkins (8-1) 56.000
REGION 3
DISTRICT 1
Whitmore Lake (6-3) 39.000 at Frankenmuth (8-1) 56.222
Armada (5-4) 45.889 at Flint Powers Catholic (7-2) 48.667
DISTRICT 2
Pontiac Notre Dame Prep (5-4) 40.333 at Saginaw Swan Valley (8-1) 52.889
Corunna (4-5) 41.222 at Imlay City (7-2) 49.222
REGION 4
DISTRICT 1
Flat Rock (3-6) 33.444 at Monroe Jefferson (8-1) 55.556
Ida (7-2) 43.444 at Detroit Voyageur College Prep (6-3) 43.819
DISTRICT 2
Ann Arbor Father Gabriel Richard (5-4) 40.222 at Romulus Summit Academy North (6-3) 49.778
Detroit Denby (6-3) 40.444 at Redford Union (5-4) 46.000
DIVISION 6
REGION 1
DISTRICT 1
Mason County Central (5-4) 31.222 at Kingsley (9-0) 49.806
Calumet (6-3) 39.000 at Traverse City St. Francis (6-3) 41.000
DISTRICT 2
Elk Rapids (6-3) 33.986 at Sanford Meridian (9-0) 49.278
Harbor Springs (8-1) 36.778 at Gladwin (5-4) 43.444
REGION 2
DISTRICT 1
Flint Elite (5-4) 32.444 at Almont (9-0) 61.111
Midland Bullock Creek (5-4) 37.278 at Algonac (6-3) 41.667
DISTRICT 2
New Haven (6-3) 34.111 at Marine City (9-0) 56.667
Durand (6-3) 35.667 at Montrose (7-2) 44.000
REGION 3
DISTRICT 1
Brooklyn Columbia Central (6-3) 36.000 at Jackson Lumen Christi (7-2) 58.222
Napoleon (8-1) 41.444 at Buchanan (7-2) 41.556
DISTRICT 2
Adrian Madison (6-3) 37.444 at Belding (7-2) 49.889
Kent City (7-2) 37.778 at Olivet (6-3) 45.778
REGION 4
DISTRICT 1
Dearborn Heights Robichaud (5-4) 34.333 at Detroit Edison (8-1) 52.778
Clawson (6-3) 43.444 at Clinton (8-1) 49.667
DISTRICT 2
Detroit Communication Media Arts (5-4) 36.333 at Ecorse (8-1) 52.333
Warren Michigan Collegiate (5-4) 39.222 at Detroit Central (8-1) 49.778
DIVISION 7
REGION 1
DISTRICT 1
Lakeview (5-4) 28.222 at Menominee (8-1) 52.778
Manton (7-2) 32.889 at Manistee (4-5) 36.889
DISTRICT 2
Oscoda (6-3) 31.222 at Charlevoix (6-2) 41.361
Harrison (7-2) 32.708 at McBain (7-2) 39.472
REGION 2
DISTRICT 1
Cass City (6-3) 31.778 at Pewamo-Westphalia (8-0) 43.264
Elkton-Pigeon-Bay Port Laker (7-2) 39.556 at Burton Bendle (9-0) 40.111
DISTRICT 2
Clinton Township Clintondale (3-6) 32.444 at Millington (9-0) 42.889
Saginaw Valley Lutheran (6-3) 33.444 at Ithaca (8-1) 40.778
REGION 3
DISTRICT 1
Saranac (7-2) 31.083 at Constantine (8-1) 46.169
Cassopolis (8-1) 37.000 at Ravenna (7-2) 42.222
DISTRICT 2
Galesburg-Augusta (7-2) 33.000 at Schoolcraft (7-2) 44.905
Lawton (5-4) 33.058 at North Muskegon (8-1) 43.625
REGION 4
DISTRICT 1
Leslie (4-5) 30.778 at Monroe St. Mary Catholic Central (8-1) 54.778
Bronson (7-2) 34.778 at Ottawa Lake Whiteford (7-2) 35.292
DISTRICT 2
Jonesville (5-4) 31.444 at Hanover-Horton (7-2) 41.222
Union City (7-2) 32.333 at Detroit Community (8-1) 37.444
DIVISION 8
REGION 1
DISTRICT 1
Beaverton (4-4) 24.458 at Beal City (9-0) 44.778
East Jordan (7-2) 34.764 at Iron Mountain (7-2) 35.778
DISTRICT 2
L'Anse (4-5) 25.222 at Bark River-Harris (7-2) 37.958
Frankfort (5-4) 28.889 at Maple City Glen Lake (7-2) 36.333
REGION 2
DISTRICT 1
Vestaburg (6-3) 26.778 at New Lothrop (8-1) 46.000
Saginaw Michigan Lutheran Seminary (6-3) 31.736 at Mount Pleasant Sacred Heart (6-3) 32.319
DISTRICT 2
Vassar (5-4) 27.222 at Ubly (6-3) 33.444
Saginaw Nouvel Catholic Central (5-4) 29.889 at Unionville-Sebewaing (7-2) 32.889
REGION 3
DISTRICT 1
Sand Creek (5-4) 26.444 at Hudson (8-1) 49.556
Fowler (6-3) 33.750 at Manchester (7-2) 34.333
DISTRICT 2
Vermontville Maple Valley (5-4) 27.333 at Decatur (9-0) 47.000
Saugatuck (6-3) 32.222 at Springport (8-1) 37.444
REGION 4
DISTRICT 1
Sterling Heights Parkway Christian (5-4) 24.333 at Madison Heights Madison (7-2) 45.111
Burton Atherton (6-3) 30.111 at Southfield Bradford Academy (6-3) 33.444
DISTRICT 2
Marine City Cardinal Mooney (6-3) 25.889 at Royal Oak Shrine Catholic (8-1) 39.778
Allen Park Cabrini (5-4) 26.889 at Clarkston Everest Collegiate (8-1) 39.111
8-Player Pairings
DIVISION 1
REGION 1
Mio (6-3) 31.619 at Pickford (7-2) 36.736
Ishpeming (7-2) 32.111 at Rudyard (7-2) 33.569
REGION 2
Kingston (5-4) 30.639 at Dryden (9-0) 38.750
Marlette (7-2) 31.111 at Deckerville (8-1) 33.639
REGION 3
Concord (6-3) 30.125 at Climax-Scotts (7-2) 35.236
Bridgman (8-1) 33.306 at Colon (8-1) 33.681
REGION 4
Fulton (6-3) 31.952 at Merrill (8-1) 36.556
Blanchard Montabella (8-1) 33.889 at Dansville (7-2) 35.111
DIVISION 2
REGION 1
Powers North Central (7-2) 32.444 at Lake Linden-Hubbell (9-0) 38.000
St. Ignace (8-1) 35.556 at Gaylord St. Mary (9-0) 35.833
REGION 2
Onekama (6-3) 29.333 at Portland St. Patrick (9-0) 38.333
Grand Rapids Sacred Heart (8-1) 32.889 at Marion (9-0) 35.333
REGION 3
Adrian Lenawee Christian (4-5) 27.778 at Mendon (9-0) 40.458
Marcellus (6-3) 29.750 at Litchfield (8-1) 31.681
REGION 4
Peck (6-3) 27.845 at Bay City All Saints (8-1) 34.984
Britton Deerfield (7-2) 30.778 at Kinde North Huron (7-2) 31.861
The MHSAA is a private, not-for-profit corporation of voluntary membership by more than 1,500 public and private senior high schools and junior high/middle schools which exists to develop common rules for athletic eligibility and competition. No government funds or tax dollars support the MHSAA, which was the first such association nationally to not accept membership dues or tournament entry fees from schools. Member schools which enforce these rules are permitted to participate in MHSAA tournaments, which attract more than 1.4 million spectators each year.
PHOTO Menominee's Kahne Clarke (52) lifts Jackson Myszak (6) after Myszak runs for the first touchdown of the game during a Sept. 3 win at Marquette. (Photo by Cara Kamps.)
Council Approves Regional Seeding-Based 11-Player Football Playoffs During Spring Meeting
By
Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor
May 6, 2026
A change to the process for pairing 11-player football teams for the District and Regional rounds of the Michigan High School Athletic Association Playoffs was among the most noteworthy to emerge from the Spring Meeting of the MHSAA Representative Council, May 3-4 in Gaylord.
The Spring Meeting of the 19-member legislative body of the MHSAA’s more than 1,500 member schools is generally the busiest of its sessions each year. The Council considered 20 committee proposals and dealt with a variety of eligibility rule, postseason tournament and operational issues.
The change to designating football playoff pairings using a Regional seeding model was a recommendation from the MHSAA Football Committee. Beginning with this fall’s postseason, the playoff field in each of eight 11-player divisions will first be organized into eight-team Regionals. The eight teams in each Regional will then be seeded based on playoff-point average, with seeds 1, 4, 5 and 8 comprising one District and seeds 2, 3, 6 and 7 comprising the other. The winners of those Districts will play in the Regional Final.
As part of its continuing conversation on transfer matters, the Council approved the use of a “Transfer Tracker” system as the tool for entering student information when a student is transferring between schools, with the use of that tool becoming required with the start of the 2027-28 school year. The “Transfer Tracker” system allows schools to track movements by students between schools and is expected to assist administrators as they confirm students are eligible before participation at a new school.
The Council also took a formal step in ongoing discussions about MHSAA championships, approving a Classification Committee recommendation to create a “study group” made up of representatives from member schools to analyze school demographics, championship data at all levels of MHSAA tournaments and success factors – with those findings then used to assist in future classification processes.
Here is a summary of other notable Spring Meeting actions taken by the Representative Council, which will take effect during the 2026-27 school year:
Regulations
• The Council considered current game suspension guidance when activities are affected by inclement weather and approved an addition to current guidance to state a contest must be suspended if an independently validated lightning-detection device or mobile weather application indicates a lightning strike within 10 miles of the event location. The same devices or applications also may be used to eliminate uncertainty if no thunder can be heard but lightning flashes are observed low on the horizon and possibly farther than 10 miles away.
• The Council also approved a regulation that a student enrolled at an MHSAA member school may not participate as an unattached or non-school participant in any regular-season school contest.
Junior High/Middle School
• Following the creation of similar events in other individual sports, the Council approved a Wrestling Committee recommendation to have the MHSAA act as a presenting sponsor for junior high/middle school Individual Wrestling Regionals to be competed at the conclusions of the Winter 1 and 2 seasons. These Regionals will be conducted by the wrestling coaches association. Junior high/middle school participants may compete in only one Regional, and this event will not count as one of the 10 allowed during the junior high/middle school season.
Officials
• The Council approved an Officials Review Committee recommendation related to officials who make aggressive and/or intentional physical contact with a student or coach. Officials who do so will be suspended for a minimum of 14 days and excluded from postseason assignments.
Sport Matters
• BASKETBALL The Council approved a change in the point differential rule. Once a team trails by 40 points during the first half or 30 during the second, even if the margin becomes smaller than those standards, point-differential timing continues.
• COMPETITIVE CHEER The council approved Competitive Cheer Committee recommendations for new allowances for inversions at the high school level only.
• FIELD HOCKEY On the cusp of the first season of field hockey as an MHSAA-sponsored sport concluding in the fall, the Council approved a pair of Field Hockey Committee recommendations dealing with overtime and conclusion of games. The Council approved a 10-minute reduced player overtime procedure for all regular-season varsity games so that they align with postseason overtime procedures. Unless part of a regular-season bracketed tournament, a game still tied at the end of the 10-minute overtime would be declared a tie.
The Council also approved an inclement weather rule specific to field hockey for games that cannot be resumed after a delay. Any game with a goal differential of three or more at any time after the completion of the second quarter would be considered a complete game.
• FOOTBALL The Council approved a Football Committee recommendation allowing a team to participate in no more than one game of interscholastic football over five consecutive calendar days, and in no more than four interscholastic scrimmages and no more than nine games in one season (exclusive of the MHSAA Playoffs). A student also shall not participate in more than one game or four quarters in one day, and in no more than five quarters during one football week. For the purposes of this regulation, a “football week” is defined as Wednesday to Tuesday.
• GOLF The council approved a Golf Committee recommendation requiring a student to participate in at least eight dates of school team competition to be eligible to compete in the MHSAA Golf Tournament. If a school’s varsity team plays fewer than 16 regular-season dates of competition, a student must instead participate in at least 50 percent of the varsity’s regular-season dates to be eligible for the postseason.
• SOCCER The Council approved a Soccer Committee recommendation to expand the Limited Team Membership allowance for college ID camps to permit unlimited participation during the girls season, as these camps are scheduled during the spring.
The Council also approved a committee recommendation to move Boys Soccer Semifinals to Tuesday during years when Halloween falls on the usual Semifinal day of Wednesday. This is set to occur next in 2029, 2035 and 2040.
• VOLLEYBALL The Council approved a pair of Volleyball Committee recommendations regarding the MHSAA Tournament. The first requires a team receiving a No. 1 or No. 2 seed in a Girls Volleyball District to have a minimum of 15 varsity match results.
The second will allow a textured volleyball to used for the boys volleyball postseason beginning with the 2026-27 school year. Teams may continue to use a smooth or textured ball during regular-season play.
• WRESTLING The Council approved a Wrestling Committee recommendation that will allow, at dual-meet tournaments with an odd number of teams, for eligible individual wrestlers from separate participating teams to assemble as one team and compete in the event.
The Council also reviewed reports on membership, with 756 senior high schools and 773 junior high/middle schools in 2025-26 plus 61 elementary schools with 6th-grader participation; cooperative programs, with 425 high school programs for 807 teams during 2025-26; eligibility advancement applications, which totaled one; the use of Educational Transfer Forms, of which there were 162; travel forms for out-of-state practice, school violations, attendance at athletic director in-service workshops and Coaches Advancement Program sessions; officials’ registrations (which were up for the fifth-consecutive school year), and officials reports submitted for the past three sports seasons. The Association’s $16.8 million budget for the 2026-27 school year also was approved.
The Representative Council is the 19-member legislative body of the MHSAA. All but five are elected by member schools. Four members are appointed by the Council to facilitate representation of females and minorities, and the 19th position is occupied by the Superintendent of Public Instruction or designee.
The MHSAA is a private, not-for-profit corporation of voluntary membership by more than 1,500 public and private senior high schools and junior high/middle schools which exists to develop common rules for athletic eligibility and competition. No government funds or tax dollars support the MHSAA, which was the first such association nationally to not accept membership dues or tournament entry fees from schools. Member schools which enforce these rules are permitted to participate in MHSAA tournaments, which attract more than 1.4 million spectators each year.