COLUMBUS, Ohio — All seven divisions of the Ohio high school football playoffs will be played on Friday nights this season until the state finals.
The Ohio High School Athletic Association announced the change in an email to athletic directors around the state late Monday afternoon. The OHSAA didn't specify a reason for the change in the email. However, it is known coaches have given feedback that they prefer playing on Friday nights. Schools have also found better attendance on Fridays.
Weeks 11 and 12 will be played at the higher seed home site, according to the OHSAA. There could be a few Saturday contests if the host site does not have lights. Neutral sites begin Week 13, which is the regional semifinal round.
In 2022, the first two weeks of the football playoffs in all seven divisions were played on Friday nights. Starting with the regional semifinals, Divisions IV, VI and VII were played on Saturday nights last season.
In 2021, Divisions I, II, III and IV playoff games were played on Friday nights. The playoff games in Divisions V, VI and VII were on Saturday nights that year.
The OHSAA also announced Monday afternoon this year's state finals schedule with times to be announced later. The Divisions I, II, III and VI state finals will be on Friday, Dec. 1 with one game being Thursday night, Nov. 30. The Divisions IV, V and VII state finals will be on Saturday, Dec. 2.
The state finals will be at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium in Canton for a third consecutive year. The OHSAA and the Pro Football Hall of Fame announced in June 2021 a three-year agreement for the state finals.
The Ohio high school football season officially starts Aug. 14 with the first Friday night games on Aug. 18. The regular season concludes Oct. 21 with playoff qualifiers announced Oct. 22. The first round of the postseason begins Oct. 27.
