New Jersey High School Football Playoff Brackets: 2026 NJSIAA First-Round Matchups and Schedule

The brackets are set, the regular season is winding down and the road to seven New Jersey high school football state championships is about to begin.

The 2026 New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association football playoffs kick off Friday, Oct. 30, with opening-round games continuing Saturday, Oct. 31, across five public-school groups.

A total of 160 public-school teams qualified for the postseason, with 32 teams competing in each group. The field is divided into four eight-team sectional brackets, meaning teams must first win a sectional championship before advancing to the state semifinals.

Several of the state's traditional powers enter the postseason with championship aspirations, including Toms River North, Winslow Township, Ramapo, Phillipsburg, Camden, Rumson-Fair Haven and Glassboro.

The postseason also features several intriguing opening-round matchups, with higher-seeded teams hosting games in each of the 20 public-school sections.

The non-public tournaments will begin a week later, following the announcement of their official brackets Nov. 1.

All seven state championship games are scheduled for Nov. 28-29 at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford.

Here is a group-by-group look at the 2026 New Jersey high school football playoff brackets, opening-round matchups and the road to the state championships.

Group 5 New Jersey High School Football Playoff Bracket

Group 5 features some of the state's largest and most successful football programs, including Toms River North, Phillipsburg, Ramapo, Rancocas Valley and Washington Township.

Ramapo earned the top seed in North Jersey, Section 1 and opens against Franklin, while Elizabeth leads North Jersey, Section 2 and will host Linden.

Old Bridge secured the No. 1 seed in Central Jersey and faces Lenape in the opening round.

Washington Township leads the South Jersey bracket and will host South Brunswick.

One of the more intriguing first-round games features Ridgewood traveling to Phillipsburg, while Toms River North opens against Manalapan.

VIEW THE UPDATED GROUP 5 PLAYOFF BRACKET

Group 5 First-Round Matchups

North Jersey, Section 1

No. 8 Franklin at No. 1 Ramapo
No. 5 Perth Amboy at No. 4 Irvington
No. 6 Bayonne at No. 3 Piscataway
No. 7 Union at No. 2 West Orange

North Jersey, Section 2

No. 8 Linden at No. 1 Elizabeth
No. 5 Bridgewater-Raritan at No. 4 Passaic Tech
No. 6 Ridgewood at No. 3 Phillipsburg
No. 7 Union City at No. 2 East Orange

Central Jersey

No. 8 Lenape at No. 1 Old Bridge
No. 5 Freehold Township at No. 4 Williamstown
No. 6 Vineland at No. 3 Sayreville
No. 7 Jackson Township at No. 2 Rancocas Valley

South Jersey

No. 8 South Brunswick at No. 1 Washington Township
No. 5 Eastern at No. 4 Egg Harbor Township
No. 6 Manalapan at No. 3 Toms River North
No. 7 Trenton at No. 2 Southern Regional

Group 4 New Jersey High School Football Playoff Bracket

Group 4 features several intriguing championship contenders, including Winslow Township, Brick Memorial, Shawnee, Roxbury and Northern Highlands.

Brick Memorial earned the No. 1 seed in Central Jersey and will open against Absegami.

Winslow Township, which captured the 2025 Group 4 state championship, begins its title defense against Toms River South as the No. 2 seed in South Jersey.

Shawnee leads the South Jersey bracket and opens against Howell.

In North Jersey, Roxbury and Middletown North earned the top seeds in their respective sections.

VIEW THE UPDATED GROUP 4 PLAYOFF BRACKET

Group 4 First-Round Matchups

North Jersey, Section 1

No. 8 Carteret at No. 1 Roxbury
No. 5 Ridge at No. 4 Middletown South
No. 6 Summit at No. 3 Morris Knolls
No. 7 Woodbridge at No. 2 Northern Highlands

North Jersey, Section 2

No. 8 Watchung Hills at No. 1 Middletown North
No. 5 Garfield at No. 4 Teaneck
No. 6 Montgomery at No. 3 Chatham
No. 7 Mount Olive at No. 2 Rahway

Central Jersey

No. 8 Absegami at No. 1 Brick Memorial
No. 5 Pennsauken at No. 4 Millville
No. 6 Hammonton at No. 3 Atlantic City
No. 7 Moorestown at No. 2 Northern Burlington

South Jersey

No. 8 Howell at No. 1 Shawnee
No. 5 Steinert at No. 4 Marlboro
No. 6 Clearview at No. 3 Bridgeton
No. 7 Toms River South at No. 2 Winslow Township

Group 3 New Jersey High School Football Playoff Bracket

Group 3 features several programs with championship aspirations, including Old Tappan, West Essex, Hopewell Valley, Camden, Seneca and Oakcrest.

Old Tappan earned the top seed in North Jersey, Section 1 and opens against Paramus.

West Essex leads North Jersey, Section 2 and will host Weequahic.

In Central Jersey, Hopewell Valley secured the No. 1 seed and will face Deptford, while Camden opens against Barnegat.

Seneca leads the South Jersey bracket and will host Ewing in the opening round.

VIEW THE UPDATED GROUP 3 PLAYOFF BRACKET

Group 3 First-Round Matchups

North Jersey, Section 1

No. 8 Paramus at No. 1 Old Tappan
No. 5 Morris Hills at No. 4 West Morris
No. 6 Wayne Valley at No. 3 Shabazz
No. 7 Matawan at No. 2 Cranford

North Jersey, Section 2

No. 8 Weequahic at No. 1 West Essex
No. 5 Montville at No. 4 River Dell
No. 6 Somerville at No. 3 Holmdel
No. 7 Parsippany Hills at No. 2 Wayne Hills

Central Jersey

No. 8 Deptford at No. 1 Hopewell Valley
No. 5 Brick Township at No. 4 Burlington Township
No. 6 Pleasantville at No. 3 Ocean City
No. 7 Barnegat at No. 2 Camden

South Jersey

No. 8 Ewing at No. 1 Seneca
No. 5 Delran at No. 4 Timber Creek
No. 6 Triton at No. 3 Pinelands
No. 7 Red Bank Regional at No. 2 Oakcrest

Group 2 New Jersey High School Football Playoff Bracket

Group 2 features several traditional small-school powers, including Rumson-Fair Haven, Westwood, Caldwell, Haddonfield and Camden Eastside.

Westwood leads North Jersey, Section 1 and opens against Hackettstown.

Waldwick/Midland Park earned the top seed in North Jersey, Section 2 and faces Indian Hills.

Glassboro leads the Central Jersey bracket and opens against Overbrook, while West Deptford earned the top seed in South Jersey and will host Haddon Heights.

Rumson-Fair Haven, one of the state's most successful postseason programs, begins its tournament against Sterling.

VIEW THE UPDATED GROUP 2 PLAYOFF BRACKET

Group 2 First-Round Matchups

North Jersey, Section 1

No. 8 Hackettstown at No. 1 Westwood
No. 5 Vernon at No. 4 Lakeland
No. 6 Hillside at No. 3 Rutherford
No. 7 High Point at No. 2 Caldwell

North Jersey, Section 2

No. 8 Indian Hills at No. 1 Waldwick/Midland Park
No. 5 Becton at No. 4 New Providence
No. 6 Hanover Park at No. 3 Bernards
No. 7 Ramsey at No. 2 Hoboken

Central Jersey

No. 8 Overbrook at No. 1 Glassboro
No. 5 Manasquan at No. 4 Gloucester City
No. 6 Lower Cape May at No. 3 Point Pleasant Borough
No. 7 Sterling at No. 2 Rumson-Fair Haven

South Jersey

No. 8 Haddon Heights at No. 1 West Deptford
No. 5 Wall at No. 4 Monmouth Regional
No. 6 Ocean Township at No. 3 Camden Eastside
No. 7 Johnson at No. 2 Haddonfield

Group 1 New Jersey High School Football Playoff Bracket

Group 1 features several of New Jersey's most successful small-school football programs, including Glassboro, Cedar Grove, Salem, Schalick and Delaware Valley.

Newton earned the top seed in North Jersey, Section 1 and opens against Verona.

Cedar Grove leads North Jersey, Section 2 and will host Glen Ridge.

In Central Jersey, Paulsboro secured the No. 1 seed and faces Point Pleasant Beach, while Schalick earned the top seed in South Jersey and will host Maple Shade.

Several first-round matchups could produce competitive games, including Shore Regional's trip to Manville and Clayton's visit to Audubon.

VIEW THE UPDATED GROUP 1 PLAYOFF BRACKET

Group 1 First-Round Matchups

North Jersey, Section 1

No. 8 Verona at No. 1 Newton
No. 5 Kinnelon at No. 4 Boonton
No. 6 Hawthorne at No. 3 Wallkill Valley
No. 7 Belvidere at No. 2 New Milford

North Jersey, Section 2

No. 8 Glen Ridge at No. 1 Cedar Grove
No. 5 Mountain Lakes at No. 4 Wood-Ridge
No. 6 Dayton at No. 3 Butler
No. 7 Pompton Lakes at No. 2 Hasbrouck Heights

Central Jersey

No. 8 Point Pleasant Beach at No. 1 Paulsboro
No. 5 Clayton at No. 4 Audubon
No. 6 Highland Park at No. 3 Woodstown
No. 7 Penns Grove at No. 2 Salem

South Jersey

No. 8 Maple Shade at No. 1 Schalick
No. 5 Shore Regional at No. 4 Manville
No. 6 Burlington City at No. 3 Pennsville
No. 7 Gateway Regional at No. 2 Delaware Valley

Non-Public A New Jersey High School Football Playoff Bracket

The Non-Public A tournament traditionally features some of the state's most prominent football programs, including Bergen Catholic, Don Bosco Prep, St. Joseph Regional, Seton Hall Prep and Delbarton.

The official 2026 bracket will be seeded Sunday, Nov. 1, following the conclusion of the non-public regular-season qualifying period.

Opening-round games are scheduled for Nov. 6-7.

VIEW THE 2026 NON-PUBLIC A PLAYOFF BRACKET

Non-Public B New Jersey High School Football Playoff Bracket

The Non-Public B tournament features another group of private-school programs competing for a state championship.

The official tournament field and opening-round matchups will be finalized Sunday, Nov. 1.

First-round games begin Nov. 6-7, with the tournament progressing through the state semifinals before the championship game at MetLife Stadium.

VIEW THE 2026 NON-PUBLIC B PLAYOFF BRACKET

2026 New Jersey High School Football Playoff Schedule

Public-school tournament

Oct. 30-31: Sectional quarterfinals
Nov. 6-7: Sectional semifinals
Nov. 13-14: Sectional championships
Nov. 20-21: State semifinals
Nov. 28-29: State championship games at MetLife Stadium

Non-public tournament

Nov. 1: Official tournament seeding
Nov. 6-7: Opening round
Nov. 13-14: Second round
Nov. 20-21: State semifinals
Nov. 28-29: State championship games at MetLife Stadium

What's Next in the New Jersey High School Football Playoffs?

The first round of the 2026 New Jersey high school football playoffs begins Friday, Oct. 30, with additional games scheduled for Saturday, Oct. 31.

The public-school field will be reduced from 160 teams to 80 after the opening round, with sectional semifinal games scheduled for Nov. 6-7.

The non-public tournaments begin the following weekend, following the release of their official brackets Nov. 1.

All seven state champions will be crowned Nov. 28-29 at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford.

High School On SI will continue following the New Jersey high school football playoffs with updated brackets, scores and championship matchups throughout the postseason.

Add us as a preferred source on Google