(10-15-26) The Michigan High School Athletic Association (MHSAA) football playoff-point average is a formula ranking system. It weighs wins, opponent division and opponent win-loss record divided by games played to order teams.

The formula is —

  • 25% of winning percentage
  • Plus—50% of opponent’s winning percentage
  • Plus—25% of its opponent’s opponent’s winning percentage.

Related: Current ratings for All 8 divisions

How seeding change will impact MHSAA football playoffs in 2026

The top 32 teams in each division advance to the postseason.

Seeding the 11-player playoffs based on a regional model was approved by the MHSAA governing body’s representative council during its spring meeting. The playoff field will now be organized into eight-team regional fields and seeded based on teams’ playoff-point average.

Seeds 1, 4, 5 and 8 seeds will be in one district, and seeds 2, 3, 6, and 7 make up the other. The winners of those districts will play in the regional final.

Selection Sunday is on Oct. 25th at 5 p.m.

Yahoo Scout AI Summary

The Michigan High School Athletic Association (MHSAA) is implementing a new regional seeding model for the 2026 football playoffs, which aims to create more balanced matchups and reduce the likelihood of strong teams facing each other too early in the postseason. This change will organize teams into eight-team regionals, seeded based on their playoff-point averages, enhancing competitive fairness throughout the playoffs.Observer and Eccentric Newspapers

Impact of Seeding Changes on MHSAA Football Playoffs

The new seeding model introduces several significant changes.

  • Balanced Matchups — The regional seeding model aims to prevent top teams from clashing before the finals, promoting fairer competition.
  • Performance-Based Seeding — Teams will be seeded according to their playoff-point averages, reflecting their performance throughout the season.
  • Increased Participation — The changes are expected to engage more teams and players, enhancing the overall experience of the playoffs.
  • Strategic Adjustments — Coaches may need to adapt their strategies based on the new seeding format, affecting game preparation and tactics.

Don’t like the play-off ranking system?

Here’s how they do it in Indiana….all teams regardless of record qualify

To conduct the random blind drawing for the football state tournament, the IHSAA places ping-pong balls representing each school in each sectional into a lottery-style air mix machine.

A fan in the bottom of the machine blows the balls around the inside of the transparent container and air then forces each ball up through a tube in random order.

For example, the first ball retrieved from the machine will be the visiting team in game one with the second ball representing the home team in game one. The third ball to come out is the visitor in game two and the fourth ball the home team in game two. That same method is followed through all 48 sectionals. In five and seven-team sectionals, the last team drawn receives the bye and an automatic road game in the semifinal round.