The North Carolina High School Athletic Association released its football playoff brackets Sunday, setting the stage for first-round action across all eight classifications beginning Friday, November 7.
In a historic shift, the NCHSAA expanded from four
classifications to eight this season, creating new opportunities for teams
across the state. A total of 330 teams earned playoff berths based solely on
RPI (Ratings Percentage Index), with brackets ranging from 22 teams in 1A to 48
teams in most other classifications.
Defending Champions in New Landscape
The classification expansion has reshuffled last year's
state champions into different competitive tiers. Tarboro, the defending
champion from the old system, enters as the No. 1 seed in 2A East. Monroe,
another 2024 titleholder, claimed the No. 8 seed in 5A West. West Charlotte
secured the No. 2 seed in 8A West, while Grimsley earned the top seed in 7A
West as it looks to defend its crown.
The new eight-classification structure creates fresh
championship races across the state, with no defending champions in 1A, 3A, 4A,
or 6A under the restructured system.
Top Seeds Across Classifications
Several programs secured the No. 1 seeds in their respective
brackets:
East: KIPP Pride (1A), Tarboro (2A), James Kenan
(3A), Reidsville (4A), Hunt (5A), Jacksonville (6A), Cardinal Gibbons (7A), and
Hoggard (8A) earned top billing in the Eastern brackets.
West: Robbinsville (1A), Murphy (2A), Mountain
Heritage (3A), Brevard (4A), South Point (5A), Watauga (6A), Grimsley (7A), and
Hough (8A) claimed the top seeds in the Western brackets.
First-Round Byes and Matchups
The top five seeds in 1A received first-round byes, while
other classifications feature full brackets. Notable first-round matchups
include several inter-regional contests, with teams like Washington County (1A
East No. 6) facing Winston-Salem Prep (1A West No. 6) in cross-bracket play.
In 1A East, No. 8 Sallie B. Howard faces No. 9 Columbia,
while No. 7 Hobgood Charter takes on Rosman from the West bracket. The 1A West
bracket features Andrews (No. 9) traveling to College Prep & Leadership
Academy (No. 8).
Competitive Balance Across State
The expansion to eight classifications aims to create more
competitive balance across North Carolina's diverse football landscape.
Traditional powers are spread throughout the new system, with programs like
Reidsville (4A East No. 1), Cardinal Gibbons (7A East No. 1), and perennial
contenders finding new homes in the restructured format.
The 2A brackets are particularly deep, featuring 22 teams in
each region. Murphy, a storied program in western North Carolina, leads the 2A
West bracket, while Tarboro's defending championship pedigree makes it the team
to beat in the East.
Mid-tier classifications showcase competitive depth, with
Hunt leading 5A East and South Point topping 5A West. The state's largest
classification, 8A, features 24 teams with Hoggard and Hough as the respective
regional favorites.
Road to Championships
Teams will battle through multiple rounds over the coming
weeks, with state championship games scheduled for mid-December. The RPI-based
seeding system eliminates subjective selection, with every playoff berth and
seed determined by the mathematical formula that weighs winning percentage,
opponents' winning percentage, and opponents' opponents' winning percentage.
Friday night's opening round marks the beginning of a new
era in North Carolina high school football, as the expanded playoff system
provides more teams the opportunity to compete for state titles while
maintaining competitive balance across all eight classifications.
First-round games kick off Friday, November 7, with times
and locations determined by host schools.
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