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When Does Florida High School Basketball Start? 2026-27 Dates and Schedule

Practices begin Oct. 26, and regular-season games start Nov. 16, with the season ending in March with the FHSAA state championships in Jacksonville.
Jon Van Hoozer|
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Florida high school basketball teams can begin regular-season play Monday, Nov. 16, under the Florida High School Athletic Association’s 2026-27 calendar.

Official practices and tryouts open Monday, Oct. 26, for both boys and girls teams. That gives programs three weeks to prepare for the first allowable regular-season games, although individual schools may open their schedules later.

The season also brings a change to the postseason with the debut of the Open Division, which will award separate boys and girls state championships.

Preseason and Regular-Season Dates

Preseason classics are scheduled for Nov. 9-14, the week before regular-season play begins.

The regular season runs through Saturday, Jan. 30, 2027. The FHSAA’s district tournament seeding cutoff is Jan. 23, leaving teams one more week of regular-season games after that deadline.

Weekly FHSAA team rankings are scheduled to begin Tuesday, Dec. 29. The association notes that release dates remain subject to change

Playoffs Begin in February

Girls district tournaments are scheduled for Feb. 4, 8, and 10, 2027. Boys district tournaments follow Feb. 5, 9, and 11.

For Classes 1A-6A, girls regional quarterfinals are set for Feb. 16, followed by regional semifinals Feb. 22 and regional finals Feb. 25.

The boys regional schedule follows one day later in each round, with quarterfinals Feb. 17, semifinals Feb. 23, and finals Feb. 26.

Rural Division girls quarterfinals are scheduled for Feb. 16 and semifinals Feb. 22. Rural boys quarterfinals follow Feb. 17, with semifinals Feb. 23.

Open Division Adds a New Championship

After districts, eight boys teams and eight girls teams will move into the Open Division based on the FHSAA Power Rankings by MaxPreps, leaving their classification brackets to compete for separate state championships.

Classes 1A-6A and the Rural Division will continue to award their own state championships alongside the new Open Division tournaments.

Each tournament will feature two four-team pools, with the top two teams in each pool advancing to the state semifinals. Every team is guaranteed at least one home contest during pool play.

Girls pool-play games are scheduled for Feb. 16, 22, and 25. Boys pool play is set for Feb. 17, 23, and 26.

Each pool winner will face the other pool’s runner-up in the semifinals. The semifinals and championship game will be single elimination.

State Championships Head to Jacksonville

The state semifinals and championship games will be played at CSI Companies Court at UNF Arena in Jacksonville.

The FHSAA’s planning calendar lists March 4-13, 2027, as the state championship window for both boys and girls basketball.

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Jon Van Hoozer
JON VAN HOOZER

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.

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