Ohio High School Athletic Association Commissioner Daniel B. Ross, Ph.D. Football Weekly Release October 21, 2013 4080 Roselea Place • Columbus, Ohio 43214 • 614-267-2502• Fax: 614-267-1677 • www.ohsaa.org Contact: Tim Stried, Director of Information Services, [email protected] Week 9 of the Regular-Season will play at 7 p.m. on Saturdays. Typically, any deviation to that As the regular-season enters Week 9 fans are reminded to check schedule during the first round is due to the host site having to out the OHSAA’s official statewide scoreboard at share the stadium with another school (high school or college) or www.hsgamecenter.com/ohsaa. The complete schedule is the site not having lights. In rounds two through four, any chang- posted in PDF format on the OHSAA’s football page. On Monday es are typically due to a site hosting a playoff double-header. nights, the OHSAA posts a link to the weekly Associated Press state poll. The OHSAA’s weekly football computer ratings are Of the four divisions that play on their playoff games on Friday released every Tuesday around 2:30 p.m. nights, one will be selected to play its state championship game on Thursday, Dec. 5, at Massillon Paul Brown Tiger Stadium (see Playoff Qualifiers Announced Sunday, Nov. 3 later note). The 2013 OHSAA football regular season ends Saturday, Nov. 2. That evening, all schools must ensure that their Week 10 result The regional playoffs will follow bracket format, which includes is entered correctly into myOHSAA. Late that Saturday night (and four rounds in Division I and three rounds in Divisions II through into early Sunday morning), OHSAA staff will confirm that all VII. The OHSAA office will then determine the pairings for the results are entered into the system and generate the final com- state semifinals in Divisions II through VII. puter ratings, which will be posted at www.OHSAA.org. Schools have until noon Sunday, Nov. 3, to report any possible mistakes In Division I, the regional finals also serve as the state semifinals. in the ratings. Unless there is a discrepancy, the ratings become The winner of Region 1 (northern half of the state) will face the official at noon on Nov. 3 and the regional playoff brackets will winner of Region 2 (southern half of the state) in the Division I be posted online at that time. state championship game Dec. 7 (time TBA). In the Beginning… to Seven Divisions First Round/Regional Quarterfinals (Nov. 7-8): During the first When the OHSAA created the football playoffs in 1972, there round, the higher seed will host the playoff game at its home sta- were three divisions (called Class A, AA and AAA) and only one dium or the stadium of its choosing. In Division I, the No. 16 seed playoff qualifier per region (12 total playoff qualifiers). Now in its will play at the No. 1 seed, the No. 15 at No. 2, etc. In Divisions II 42nd year, the postseason has expanded to seven divisions and through VII, the No. 8 seed will play at the No. 1 seed, the No. 7 224 total playoff qualifiers. Expansion occurred in 1980 to five seed at No. 2, etc. divisions and two qualifiers per region, and then again in 1985 to four qualifiers per region. In 1994, a sixth division was added, Regional Semifinals (Nov. 14-15), Regional Finals (Nov. 21-22) while in 1999, the number of qualifiers per region increased to and State Semifinals (Nov. 28-29): Neutral sites will be selected eight. by the OHSAA. There are many factors that go into determining playoff sites, such as quality of field surface, seating capacity, OHSAA Football by the Numbers quality of stadium lighting, size of locker rooms, press box size, 714 – High schools in Ohio that play football parking spaces available, and a separate locker room for officials. 7 – Divisions for the playoffs After all those factors are taken into consideration, it must be 72 – Schools in Division I confirmed that the site is available and willing to host a playoff 108 – Schools in Division II through VII game on the date needed. 32 – Playoff qualifiers per division 2 – Regions in Division I (16 playoff qualifiers per region) Setting Up the State Championships 4 – Regions in Divisions II through VII (8 qualifiers per region) For the first time in the 42 years of the OHSAA football play- 224 – Total playoff qualifiers offs, the time slots for the state championship games will not 31.4 – Percentage of football playing schools that will now be announced until after the state semifinals. This is due to the qualify for the playoffs expansion to seven divisions and one state championship game being played on Thursday night, Dec. 5. Of the divisions that Playoff Format and Schedule play on Friday nights during the playoffs (II, III, IV and VI), one Unless otherwise noted, Divisions II, III, IV and VI will play at 7:30 will be selected to play its state championship Dec. 5 at 7 p.m. in p.m. on Fridays during the playoffs, while Divisions I, V and VII Massillon Paul Brown Tiger Stadium. The schedule for the state OHSAA Weekly Football Release - October 21, 2013 championship games is as follows: list of schools that moved up into the playoffs due to victories in Week 10 of the regular season. Last year, 13 schools moved from Thursday, Dec. 5 outside the playoff field into the playoff field with wins in their 7 p.m. at Massillon – Either Div. II, III, IV or VI last game. The biggest jump was made by Mayfield in Division I, which went from No. 14 to No. 8. Friday, Dec. 6 11 a.m. at Canton – Either Div. II, III, IV or VI Welcome Back 3 p.m. at Massillon – Either Div. II, III, IV or VI The OHSAA football weekly release on Nov. 3 will include the 7 p.m. at Canton – Either Div. II, III, IV or VI list of schools that is making a return to the playoffs after a long absence. Last year, six schools returned to the playoffs after a Saturday, Dec. 7 hiatus of 10 or more years, led by Bradford, which qualified for 11 a.m. at Massillon – Either Div. I, V or VII the first time since 1982. 3 p.m. at Canton – Either Div. I, V or VII 7 p.m. at Massillon – Either Div. I, V or VII Playoff Games on TV Fox/SportsTime Ohio (STO) and Time Warner Cable (TWC) are 24th Consecutive Year in Stark County the official television partners of the OHSAA and will televise sev- In the spring of 1990, natural grass was installed in Ohio Stadium eral playoff games every weekend. STO and TWC will announce in Columbus and the OHSAA was asked to move its football state their playoff selections by around noon on Mondays during the championship games to another location after having been at playoffs. Their coverage of those games is exclusive and some the historic “Horseshoe” since 1982.The OHSAA found a home games will be shown live. STO will televise the state champion- in Stark County, with Canton Fawcett Stadium and Massillon ship games live. Paul Brown Tiger Stadium sharing the state championship games every year since.Fawcett Stadium and Paul Brown Tiger Stadium Championships on the OHSAA Radio Network have both named “Famous High School Venues” by the NFHS Now in its fourth year, the OHSAA Radio Network will broadcast (National Federation of State High School Associations) and both the football state championship games. Stations are welcome have been recognized among the nation’s top stadiums by ESPN. to carry any broadcast and can have their own broadcast rights com. Fawcett Stadium annually hosts an NFL preseason game in fees during the playoffs reduced or eliminated by opting into an conjunction with the Pro Football Hall of Fame induction cere- affiliate plan to carry some of the championship games. Please monies. contact Tim Stried at the OHSAA for more information. Finals Moving to Columbus Playoff Upsets? The current four-year contract for the OHSAA football state Last year, 25 of the 96 first-round playoff games could be championship games (2012-2015) includes two years at Ohio deemed an upset, as the lower seed beat the higher seed. Two Stadium in Columbus (2014 and 2015). The first two years of the No. 8 seeds upended a No. 1 seed, eight No. 7 seeds defeated a contract (2012 and 2013) were awarded Stark County (Canton No. 2 seed and 10 No. 6 seeds were victorious over a No. 3 seed. and Massillon), which has hosted the finals every year since Only five No. 5 seeds defeated a No. 4 seed in round one. 1990. When the championship games shift to Ohio Stadium, they will be spread of over three days (dates and times TBA). Of note, Before the Playoffs… the most recent bid by Columbus was the first that included all Historians have found that most years since 1895, the media or the games in Ohio Stadium. There is currently no contract in a specific organization named an Ohio high school football state place for the football finals after 2015. champion. The Associated Press began its polls in 1947 and the OHSAA created the playoffs in 1972. The research of mythical On the Verge of History state champions dating back to 1895 has been compiled at: Entering the 2013 season, 90 OHSAA member schools have nev- http://www.ohsaa.org/sports/ft/boys/OhioHighSchool-State- er made the football playoffs.