2025 IHSA Football Playoffs: Key Details Before Bracket Selections
The 2025 Illinois High School Association (IHSA) football playoffs are set to begin, with bracket selections taking place on Saturday evening. A total of 256 high school teams will find out their matchups for the postseason. This article provides essential information about the upcoming playoffs, including qualification details, key dates, and playoff procedures.
Key Information on the 2025 IHSA Football Playoffs
Current Standings and Qualifying Teams
- As of now, 221 teams are eligible with five or more wins.
- Another 58 teams have secured four wins.
- A total of 156 teams have qualified through conference championships or by winning six or more games.
Qualification for the Playoffs
The final 100 playoff slots will be filled by teams achieving their sixth win in Week 9, plus the highest-ranked five-win teams based on playoff points. If spots remain, four-win teams will then be considered.
Understanding IHSA Playoff Points
Playoff points are calculated by summing the victories of the nine opponents each team faced. Higher points indicate a tougher schedule and improve the chances of lower-ranked teams making the playoffs. Recent trends show that nearly every five-win team has qualified in past seasons, although four-win teams face tougher criteria.
Playoff Structure and Matchup Criteria
Classifications and Seeding
The upcoming playoff field will be divided into eight classes based on football enrollment, starting from Class 1A for the lowest enrollments. The teams in each class will be ranked to determine their playoff seeding.
Identifying ‘Playing Up’ and ‘Success Adjustment’
- Schools can opt to play in a higher class than their enrollment suggests.
- Success adjustments may also bump schools up a class based on their performance.
Determining Matchups
First-round matchups for classes 1A through 6A will be geographically divided into two halves, while Classes 7A and 8A will be fully seeded. Criteria for seeding include team wins, opponent wins, and other factors.
Hosting Playoff Games
In the initial round, the higher seed hosts the game. In later rounds, hosting rights depend on the number of times a team has hosted previously.
Important Dates for the 2025 Playoffs
| Round | Date |
|---|---|
| First Round | Oct. 31 – Nov. 1 |
| Second Round | Nov. 7 – 8 |
| Quarterfinals | Nov. 14 – 15 |
| Semifinals | Nov. 21 – 22 |
| Championships | Nov. 28 – 29 |
Broadcast Information
The IHSA football pairings show will be broadcast live from 8-9 p.m. on the IHSA TV Network and NFHS Network. Coverage will also be available online at ihsa.org.
Location of Championship Games
The 2025 state title games will take place at Hancock Stadium in Normal, Illinois. Classes 1A through 4A will compete for their titles on Nov. 28, while the larger classes will take the field on Nov. 29.
As the season progresses, stay tuned for further updates on this exciting postseason in Illinois high school football.
