Football Playoff Pairings, Opening Matchups to be Announced Sunday on NFHS Network

By Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor

October 22, 2026

The announcement of qualifiers and first-round pairings for this season’s Michigan High School Athletic Association Football Playoffs – the annual “Selection Sunday Show” – will be streamed at 5 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 25, on the NFHS Network.

The playoffs for both 11 and 8-player teams begin during the weekend of Oct. 30-31. The top 32 teams by playoff-point average in each 11-player division and top 16 teams by playoff-point average in each 8-player division will qualify. Divisions were determined prior to the start of the season. 

Click for the direct link to watch the Selection Sunday Show. That link also is posted to the Football page of the MHSAA website. A subscription is not required to watch the Selection Sunday Show, although viewers must register on the site to view the broadcast.

The playoff qualifiers and pairings will be posted to the website following the show, and times and dates will be added Monday, Oct. 26.

To review a list of all football playoff schools and individual school playoff point details, visit the Football Playoff Point Summary page.

The MHSAA Football Playoffs conclude with the 8-Player Finals on Nov. 21 at Northern Michigan University’s Superior Dome and 11-Player Finals to be played Nov. 27 and 28 at Ford Field. Both games will be broadcast live on the NFHS Network. 

Six Members Elected to MHSAA Representative Council

By Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor

October 20, 2021

Elections were completed this week to fill positions on the Michigan High School Athletic Association’s legislative body, its Representative Council, with four members receiving re-election, another rejoining the Council after previously serving and a sixth being selected for the first time. All six were elected to two-year terms.

The four re-elected members ran unopposed. Marquette athletic director Alex Tiseo was re-elected to continue representing Class A and B schools in the Upper Peninsula. Gobles athletic director Chris Miller was re-elected to continue representing Class C and D schools in the southwestern section of the Lower Peninsula, and Ottawa Lake Whiteford athletic director and football coach Jason Mensing was re-elected to continuing representing Class C and D schools in the southeastern section of the Lower Peninsula. Jay Alexander, executive director of athletics for Detroit Public Schools Community District, was re-elected to continue representing Detroit Public Schools.

Boyne City athletic director and girls basketball coach Adam Stefanski was elected to represent junior high/middle schools. He previously served on the Council for one year while athletic director at Mackinaw City. Elected to the Council for the first time was Chelsea athletic director Brad Bush, who will fill one of two statewide at-large positions.

The Representative Council is the 19-member legislative body of the MHSAA. All but five members 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 Council meets three times annually. Five members of the Council convene monthly during the school year to form the MHSAA’s Executive Committee, which reviews appeals of Handbook regulations by member schools.

Additional elections took place to select representatives to the Upper Peninsula Athletic Committee. Negaunee athletic director and football coach Paul Jacobson was elected to represent Class A and B schools, Ishpeming Westwood athletic director Jon Beckman was elected to represent Class C schools, and Ontonagon superintendent and principal Jim Bobula was elected to represent Class D schools.

The MHSAA is a private, not-for-profit corporation of voluntary membership by more than 1,400 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.