Key Takeaways
- The FHSAA board voted 10-0 to create eight-team Open Division playoffs in football and 10 other sports, beginning in 2026-27.
- MaxPreps computer rankings, not the FHSAA’s modified formula, will seed the brackets after the regular season and district tournaments.
- St. Thomas Aquinas, holder of a record 17 state football titles, is among the likely contenders for the first Open Division crown.
- Higher seeds collect gate revenue even when traveling to a lower seed, a structural change in postseason economics.
- A separate 8-2 vote cleared head coaches to commit up to $15,000 a year for students in need under the new SB 178.
How the Open Division Bracket Works
The FHSAA will pull the top eight teams in each sport into a separate championship bracket. In football, MaxPreps rankings set the field at the close of the regular season. The other 10 sports, including volleyball, boys and girls basketball, boys and girls soccer, baseball, softball, boys and girls lacrosse, and flag football, draw their top eight after district tournaments.
The eight qualifiers split into two pools. Pool A holds the No. 1, 4, 5, and 8 seeds; Pool B holds Nos. 2, 3, 6, and 7. Teams play a round-robin inside their pool, and the top two from each pool advance to single-elimination semifinals. Round-robin play guarantees every Open Division team at least three postseason games and at least one home date. Title games in the 10 non-football sports run double elimination. Teams cannot opt out, a proposal the board rejected last year. Schools that miss the top eight stay in their existing classifications.
MaxPreps Becomes the Official Seeding Engine
The seeding decision is the quiet headline for operators. Florida is dropping its modified ranking formula in favor of straight MaxPreps computer rankings, handing a private data platform direct authority over which programs reach the state’s marquee bracket.
The change also reshuffles who qualifies. Under the old FHSAA-modified rankings, perennial powers such as Chaminade-Madonna and St. Thomas Aquinas would have fallen outside last year’s hypothetical top eight. Using straight MaxPreps numbers, both move back into contention. Executive Director Craig Damon signaled the system may need adjustment, noting the association can revisit the rankings if early results look off.
Playoff Economics and New Legislative Guardrails
The bracket comes with a revenue wrinkle. First-round games are hosted by the lower seed, but the higher seed receives the gate money. That detail matters for athletic departments budgeting around postseason hosting, since the right to collect revenue no longer tracks with the home venue.
The board paired the Open Division vote with an 8-2 amendment to its bylaws, accommodating two state laws that take effect July 1. SB 178, known as the Teddy Bridgewater Act, allows head coaches to commit up to $15,000 per year to help students in need, subject to oversight and approval. SB 538 tightens eligibility for nontraditional students such as virtual and home-schoolers, limiting them to one school per year and generally requiring them to compete at their zoned school. Athletes currently playing out of zone are grandfathered in.
Pickleball also surfaced. A survey of 547 schools found 166 interested in FHSAA sanctioning, though Damon said a decision remains a couple of years out and a spring launch is unlikely given calendar congestion and overlap with tennis.
Why the Seeding Source Matters More Than the Bracket
The Open Division is built to settle the annual argument over Florida’s best team on the field rather than on paper. For the business side of high school sports, the more durable shift is structural. A private rankings provider now decides the field, gate revenue is decoupled from the host site, and a new state law puts real money in coaches’ hands for student support. Other state associations weighing similar formats will be watching, and how cleanly the MaxPreps seeding holds up in year one will shape whether the model spreads.
Source: Florida approves open division playoffs for football, 10 other sports, Aaron Williams, MaxPreps, June 9, 2026; FHSAA votes to add Open division in multiple sports, News4Jax, June 9, 2026
Image: (Amber Milton, News4JAX)
YSBR provides this content on an “as is” basis without any warranties, express or implied. We do not assume responsibility for the accuracy, completeness, legality, reliability, or use of the information, including any images, videos, or licenses associated with this article. For any concerns, including copyright issues or complaints, please contact YSBR directly.
About Youth Sports Business Report
What is YSBR? Youth Sports Business Report (YSBR) is the largest and most trusted source for youth sports industry news, insights, and analysis in the United States. Founded by Cameron Korab, YSBR is the premier B2B publication dedicated to the $54 billion youth sports market. With over 50,000 followers and millions of monthly views and impressions, YSBR publishes daily across its blog, weekly newsletter, LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, X, and Substack.
What does YSBR cover? YSBR delivers original reporting, market intelligence, and business analysis across youth sports facilities, sponsorship and brand partnerships, private equity and venture capital investments, NIL policy and compliance, coaching development, sports technology platforms, equipment and apparel innovation, tournaments and events, community sports initiatives, and parent resources. YSBR is read by industry executives, facility operators and developers, institutional investors, league administrators, sports technology founders, and youth sports parents who rely on accurate, sourced reporting to make informed business decisions.
Who reads YSBR? YSBR is read by youth sports industry executives, institutional investors, facility operators and developers, brand and sponsorship professionals, league administrators, youth sports parents, and sports business professionals shaping the future of youth athletics.
Subscribe to Youth Sports HQ, the largest and most trusted newsletter covering the business of youth sports. Thousands of industry leaders rely on Youth Sports HQ for curated news, analysis, and business intelligence delivered weekly. Youth Sports HQ is the most-read newsletter in the youth sports business space.
Looking for your next role in youth sports? Visit the YSBR Youth Sports Job Board, the most comprehensive job listing destination for careers in youth sports. Browse open positions across facility management, league operations, coaching, sports technology, marketing, and more from organizations hiring across the $54 billion youth sports industry.
Follow Youth Sports Business Report (YSBR) across platforms: LinkedIn | Facebook | Instagram | X | Substack
Are you a brand looking to tap into the world’s most passionate fanbase… youth sports?
Introducing Vertical Sports, an Advisory+ delivering integrated expertise across all levels of sport. Youth, College, Pro. Every Fan, Every Level.
About Vertical Sports
Vertical Sports is an Advisory+ delivering integrated expertise across all levels of sport. Youth, College, Pro. Our mission is to simplify and navigate the ecosystem for clients. Complete visibility. Optimal paths. Maximum efficiency. EVERY FAN. EVERY LEVEL.
Why Sponsor Youth Sports?
Youth sports represents one of the most engaged and passionate audiences in sports marketing. With over 70 million young athletes and their families participating annually, the youth sports industry offers brands unparalleled access to motivated communities with strong purchasing power and loyalty. Youth sports sponsorship is one of the fastest-growing segments in sports marketing, giving brands the ability to connect with families at the local, regional, and national level.
Are you a brand looking to invest in youth sports? Please reach out to info@verticalsports.us.
Common Questions About Youth Sports Marketing
Where can I sponsor youth sports? How do I activate in youth sports? What is the ROI of youth sports marketing? How much does youth sports sponsorship cost?
We have answers. Reach out to info@verticalsports.us to learn how Vertical Sports can help your brand navigate the sports marketing landscape.
If you are a youth sports organization interested in sponsor or partnership opportunities please reach out to learn about our accreditation process.
