Florida High School Football Playoff Bracket Reveal 2026: Date, Time, How to Watch

Florida’s high school football teams will learn their postseason assignments Friday, when the Florida High School Athletic Association (FHSAA announces its first Open Division field and releases the brackets for Classes 1A–6A.
The reveal will replace weeks of rankings and projections with official selections, giving schools their opening opponents and a clearer picture of the rounds ahead.
For some programs, the announcement will confirm an expected playoff berth. For others, particularly those sitting near the qualification cutoff, it could mean the difference between extending their seasons and turning their attention to next year.
The introduction of the Open Division adds another layer of intrigue. Eight of Florida's highest-ranked teams will compete for a new championship, reshaping the traditional classification brackets and creating additional opportunities for teams that remain in Classes 1A–6A.
When Is the Florida Football Playoff Bracket Reveal Show?
The Florida High School Athletic Association's football bracket release show is scheduled for Friday, Nov. 6, at 5 p.m. ET.
The announcement comes one week before the regional quarterfinals, leaving qualifying teams time to prepare for their first postseason opponents.
Coaches, players and fans will be watching closely as the brackets establish potential paths to the state championship games. The announcement will also settle questions about seeding and which teams will have the opportunity to host postseason contests.
How to Watch the FHSAA Bracket Release Show
Fans can watch the selection show live on the FHSAA's official YouTube channel.
The show will provide the first official look at the postseason field, allowing fans across Florida to follow the selections as they are announced.
Which Football Playoff Brackets Will Be Announced?
The reveal will identify qualifiers and seedings for the state championship series, including Classes 1A–6A and the inaugural Open Division.
The classification tournaments are designed around 32-team fields. For teams near the qualification cutoff, the announcement determines whether their seasons continue. Other programs will be watching for their placement, opening matchup and potential regional opponents.
The FHSAA also maintains separate postseason brackets for its Independent League and Florida Invitational Tournament.
How Does the Open Division Affect the Playoffs?
The eight highest-ranked eligible teams from Classes 1A–6A will leave their classification brackets for the Open Division, with selection based on the final regular-season FHSAA Playoff rankings.
Those teams will enter two pools of four. Seeds 1, 4, 5 and 8 form Pool A, while seeds 2, 3, 6 and 7 make up Pool B. The top two teams from each pool advance to the semifinals.
Unlike the traditional single-elimination format, the pool structure gives participating teams multiple opportunities to compete before the semifinal field is determined.
Fans following an Open Division contender should check its seed and pool assignment, which determine the opponents it must navigate before reaching the final four.
The new format also means the playoff landscape could look considerably different from previous seasons, with several traditional state championship contenders competing outside their usual classifications.

Jon Van Hoozer is a South Florida-based sportswriter covering high school athletics, with a primary focus on football, basketball, and recruiting. A graduate of the University of Tennessee, Van Hoozer provides on-site coverage throughout South Florida, including game reporting, player and coach interviews, and recruiting coverage. His coverage focuses on the athletes, programs, and storylines shaping one of the nation's most competitive high school sports markets. He began contributing to High School On SI in 2026.