IHSAA Ping-Pong Balls Blind Draw Sets Football Sectional Brackets

October 11, 2026

High school football teams learn sectional matchups

Since 2009, the Indianapolis Colts have been the presenting partner

Three-hundred eleven (311) teams learned their sectional opponents today via live stream at IHSAAtv.org and the state-wide IHSAA Champions Radio Network.

The 54th Annual IHSAA Football State Tournament presented by the Indianapolis Colts is set to begin Oct. 23 with sectional first round games. Semifinal games will be played on Oct. 30, sectional championship games on Nov. 6, regionals on Nov. 13, semi-states on Nov. 20 and the state championship games on Nov. 27-28.

The 12 teams earning a berth in the state finals will play on Thanksgiving weekend in Lucas Oil Stadium, home of the NFL’s Indianapolis Colts. In 2009, the Colts became the first professional sports franchise in the country to sponsor a high school state tournament.

Of interest, in Class 2A, Sectional 38, South Putnam, last year’s Class 1A state champion and Cascade, last year’s 3A state champion,were assigned to the same sectional this year and drew each other for their first-round game. With the new football alignment this year, South Putnam moved up to 2A due to the Tournament Success Factor, while Cascade dropped down one classification due to enrollment. It is the first time in state tournament history that two teams who won state titles the previous year have met in the first round of the next year’s tournament.