New Jersey High School Football Playoffs Put Thanksgiving Traditions in Jeopardy

For generations, Thanksgiving Day football has been part of the high school sports calendar in several New Jersey communities.

This year, some of those traditions could collide with the state playoffs.

The New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJIAA) has scheduled all seven state championship games for the weekend following Thanksgiving at MetLife Stadium, creating a potential conflict for playoff teams that also have traditional Thanksgiving Day rivalry games on their schedules.

In previous seasons, the NJSIAA provided scheduling flexibility for teams facing that conflict. According to NJ.com's original report on the NJSIAA decision, the association is taking a different approach this season.

“Play the game or don’t play the game, but the point is we’re at MetLife for seven games,” NJSIAA Executive Director Colleen Maguire told NJ.com. “You’re on notice. Plan accordingly.”

A Tradition Measured in Generations

Few schools have more at stake than Phillipsburg, which annually plays Easton (Pa.) in one of the nation's oldest high school football rivalries.

The schools first played Oct. 25, 1905, when Easton defeated Phillipsburg 6-0. The rivalry has been played on Thanksgiving Day since 1916 and regularly draws large crowds to Lafayette College's Fisher Stadium.

Phillipsburg, however, does not intend to fight the NJSIAA's decision.

Superintendent Gregory Troxell told LehighValleyLive.com in a report on Phillipsburg's response to the NJSIAA decision that the district understands and supports having all seven state championship games at MetLife Stadium.

“We are proud of the Easton-Phillipsburg Thanksgiving tradition, while also being proud to be part of the statewide championship process,” Troxell told LehighValleyLive.com.

Troxell's perspective carries additional significance because he is not only the Phillipsburg superintendent but also a member of the NJSIAA Executive Committee.

Other longstanding New Jersey Thanksgiving rivalries include Shabazz-Weequahic in Newark and Millville-Vineland, which played its first Thanksgiving game in 1893.

Thanksgiving Games Have Already Declined

Only 26 New Jersey teams are scheduled to play on Thanksgiving this season, according to NJ.com, continuing a significant decline in the number of schools maintaining the holiday tradition.

The NJSIAA's introduction of overall public-school group championships beginning with the 2022 season added another scheduling complication. Teams advancing deep into the playoffs potentially had to balance their pursuit of a state championship with longstanding Thanksgiving games.

In previous seasons, the NJSIAA provided flexibility for teams facing that situation.

Last season, for example, Camden and Shabazz played their Group 2 state championship game on the Wednesday after Thanksgiving because both programs had traditional Thanksgiving games on their schedules.

A Different Choice in 2026

With all seven championship games scheduled for Thanksgiving weekend at MetLife, teams that maintain Thanksgiving rivalries could face difficult decisions if they advance to a state final.

Playing on Thanksgiving and again later that weekend would create an exceptionally short turnaround. Skipping the Thanksgiving game could mean interrupting traditions that in some communities date back more than a century.

Phillipsburg provides perhaps the clearest example. The Stateliners have played Easton on Thanksgiving for more than a century, but a run to a state championship game could put that tradition directly against the postseason schedule.

For now, Phillipsburg's position is clear: The district values its Thanksgiving rivalry but says it will support the NJSIAA's championship plans.

Other programs could eventually face the same decision.

For years, New Jersey high school football found ways to accommodate both an expanding state playoff system and the state's remaining Thanksgiving traditions.

This season could test whether there is still room for both.

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