Official Tennessee High School Football Playoff Brackets 2026: First-Round Matchups and State Championship Schedule

The road to the Tennessee high school football state championships begins Friday, Nov. 6, as teams across the state open the 2026 postseason with their sights set on Chattanooga.
The Tennessee Secondary School Athletic Association has released its official playoff brackets for all nine classifications, setting the stage for four weeks of elimination football before the BlueCross Bowl state championships at Finley Stadium.
The championship games are scheduled for Dec. 3-5, when Tennessee will crown six Division I champions and three Division II champions.
Some of the state's most successful programs are back in the postseason, including Maryville, Oakland, Alcoa, South Pittsburg, Baylor, McCallie and Brentwood Academy.
There are also plenty of challengers hoping to make their own championship runs, including undefeated Baylor in Division II-AAA and several teams that dominated their regions during the regular season.
Division I features six classifications, ranging from Class 1A through Class 6A. Division II, which includes private schools competing in the TSSAA's separate championship structure, features Classes A, AA and AAA.
First-round games begin Friday night, with most scheduled for 7 p.m. local time. The postseason continues throughout November before the championship games in Chattanooga.
Here is a classification-by-classification guide to the official 2026 Tennessee high school football playoff brackets, including notable opening-round matchups and direct links to each tournament.
Tennessee Class 6A High School Football Playoff Bracket
Class 6A features many of Tennessee's largest schools and several programs with extensive championship histories.
Maryville begins its postseason against Jefferson County, while Oakland travels to Lebanon in one of the opening round's more intriguing matchups.
Dobyns-Bennett hosts Oak Ridge, bringing together two of East Tennessee's most recognizable football programs.
Other notable matchups include Riverdale against Cookeville, Ravenwood against Cane Ridge and Houston against Germantown.
The classification also features Brentwood, Collierville, Science Hill, Whitehaven and several other programs capable of making deep postseason runs.
Notable Class 6A First-Round Matchups — Nov. 6
- Jefferson County at Maryville
- Oakland at Lebanon
- Oak Ridge at Dobyns-Bennett
- Cookeville at Riverdale
- Hardin Valley Academy at Science Hill
- Cane Ridge at Ravenwood
- Germantown at Houston
- Bartlett at Whitehaven
- White Station at Collierville
- Rossview at Brentwood
VIEW THE OFFICIAL TENNESSEE CLASS 6A PLAYOFF BRACKET
The Class 6A tournament concludes with the state championship game Saturday, Dec. 5, at Finley Stadium.
Tennessee Class 5A High School Football Playoff Bracket
Class 5A features several of Tennessee's strongest programs, including Sevier County, Powell, Page, Beech and Knoxville Central.
Sevier County opens against West, while Powell hosts Morristown West.
Page begins its postseason against Portland, and Beech faces Hillsboro.
Other notable matchups include Nolensville against Hendersonville and Munford against Dickson County.
The classification features several teams with impressive regular-season records, including Page, Powell, Beech, Kirkwood and Munford.
Notable Class 5A First-Round Matchups — Nov. 6
- West at Sevier County
- Morristown West at Powell
- Portland at Page
- Hillsboro at Beech
- Hendersonville at Nolensville
- Dickson County at Munford
- Tullahoma at Rhea County
- Lawrence County at Walker Valley
- Brighton at Henry County
- Northeast at Memphis Central
VIEW THE OFFICIAL TENNESSEE CLASS 5A PLAYOFF BRACKET
The Class 5A state championship is scheduled for Friday, Dec. 4.
Tennessee Class 4A High School Football Playoff Bracket
Class 4A includes several established championship contenders, led by Alcoa, Greeneville and Anderson County.
Alcoa opens its postseason against Cherokee, while Greeneville hosts Fulton.
Anderson County travels to Seymour, and Elizabethton faces Gibbs.
Macon County begins its playoff run against East Ridge, while Pearl-Cohn hosts Montgomery Central.
The bracket also includes Marshall County, Haywood, Red Bank and Springfield.
Notable Class 4A First-Round Matchups — Nov. 6
- Cherokee at Alcoa
- Fulton at Greeneville
- Anderson County at Seymour
- Elizabethton at Gibbs
- East Ridge at Macon County
- Montgomery Central at Pearl-Cohn
- White House at Marshall County
- Livingston Academy at Red Bank
- South Gibson at Haywood
- Creek Wood at Springfield
VIEW THE OFFICIAL TENNESSEE CLASS 4A PLAYOFF BRACKET
The Class 4A state championship is scheduled for Saturday, Dec. 5.
Tennessee Class 3A High School Football Playoff Bracket
Class 3A features a competitive field that includes Westview, Dyersburg, Fairview, Unicoi County and several other regional contenders.
Unicoi County opens against McMinn Central, while Dyersburg hosts Raleigh-Egypt.
Westview begins its postseason against Wooddale, and Fairview faces Stratford.
Other notable matchups include Meigs County against Chuckey-Doak, Tyner Academy against Watertown and Melrose against Covington.
Giles County and Forrest received opening-round byes in their portions of the bracket.
Notable Class 3A First-Round Matchups — Nov. 6
- McMinn Central at Unicoi County
- Sequatchie County at Chattanooga Prep
- Chuckey-Doak at Meigs County
- Watertown at Tyner Academy
- Kingston at Gatlinburg-Pittman
- Raleigh-Egypt at Dyersburg
- Stratford at Fairview
- Covington at Melrose
- Wooddale at Westview
- Waverly Central at Whites Creek
VIEW THE OFFICIAL TENNESSEE CLASS 3A PLAYOFF BRACKET
The Class 3A championship is scheduled for Friday, Dec. 4.
Tennessee Class 2A High School Football Playoff Bracket
Class 2A features several familiar postseason contenders, including Marion County, Huntingdon, Gordonsville and East Nashville.
Marion County begins its playoff run against Trousdale County, while Huntingdon hosts Memphis Business Academy.
Gordonsville faces Grundy County, and East Nashville opens against Mount Pleasant.
Other notable matchups include Bledsoe County against Jackson County, Milan against Mitchell and Fairley against Union City.
Notable Class 2A First-Round Matchups — Nov. 6
- Trousdale County at Marion County
- Memphis Business Academy at Huntingdon
- Grundy County at Gordonsville
- Mount Pleasant at East Nashville
- Jackson County at Bledsoe County
- Mitchell at Milan
- Union City at Fairley
- Polk County at Happy Valley
- South Greene at Tellico Plains
- York Institute at Cannon County
VIEW THE OFFICIAL TENNESSEE CLASS 2A PLAYOFF BRACKET
The Class 2A state championship is scheduled for Saturday, Dec. 5.
Tennessee Class 1A High School Football Playoff Bracket
Class 1A includes several programs with rich championship traditions, including South Pittsburg, McKenzie, Coalfield and Fayetteville.
South Pittsburg opens its postseason against Red Boiling Springs, while McKenzie hosts Huntland.
Coalfield begins against Hampton, and Fayetteville faces Wayne County.
Cornersville, which completed an undefeated regular season, hosts McEwen.
Other notable matchups include Cosby against Midway, Greenback against Cloudland and South Fulton against Oakhaven.
Notable Class 1A First-Round Matchups — Nov. 6
- Red Boiling Springs at South Pittsburg
- Huntland at McKenzie
- Hampton at Coalfield
- Wayne County at Fayetteville
- McEwen at Cornersville
- Midway at Cosby
- Cloudland at Greenback
- Oakhaven at South Fulton
- Dresden at Westwood
- Sale Creek at Jo Byrns
VIEW THE OFFICIAL TENNESSEE CLASS 1A PLAYOFF BRACKET
The Class 1A state championship is scheduled for Friday, Dec. 4.
Tennessee Division II-AAA High School Football Playoff Bracket
Division II-AAA features several of Tennessee's most prominent private-school football programs, including Baylor, Brentwood Academy, McCallie, Montgomery Bell Academy and Memphis University School.
Baylor enters the postseason undefeated at 10-0 and received a first-round bye.
Brentwood Academy, Briarcrest Christian, Lipscomb Academy and Ensworth also received opening-round byes.
The first round features Memphis University School against Montgomery Bell Academy, Christ Presbyterian Academy against Christian Brothers and Father Ryan against McCallie.
The Division II-AAA tournament is one of the most competitive championship races in Tennessee, with several programs accustomed to playing deep into November.
Division II-AAA First-Round Matchups — Nov. 6
- Christ Presbyterian Academy at Christian Brothers
- Memphis University School at Montgomery Bell Academy
- Father Ryan at McCallie
Baylor, Briarcrest Christian, Lipscomb Academy, Ensworth and Brentwood Academy received first-round byes.
VIEW THE OFFICIAL TENNESSEE DIVISION II-AAA PLAYOFF BRACKET
The Division II-AAA state championship is scheduled for Thursday, Dec. 3.
Tennessee Division II-AA High School Football Playoff Bracket
Division II-AA features Battle Ground Academy, Christian Academy of Knoxville, Franklin Road Academy, Goodpasture Christian and several other contenders.
Battle Ground Academy opens against Knoxville Webb, while Christian Academy of Knoxville hosts Pope John Paul II.
Franklin Road Academy faces Boyd Buchanan, and Goodpasture takes on Lakeway Christian.
Other first-round games include Lausanne against Davidson Academy and Knoxville Grace Christian against Northpoint Christian.
Division II-AA First-Round Matchups — Nov. 6
- Davidson Academy at Lausanne
- Lakeway Christian at Goodpasture
- Pope John Paul II at Christian Academy of Knoxville
- Franklin Grace at Evangelical Christian School
- Knoxville Webb at Battle Ground Academy
- St. George's at Silverdale Academy
- Boyd Buchanan at Franklin Road Academy
- Northpoint Christian at Knoxville Grace Christian
VIEW THE OFFICIAL TENNESSEE DIVISION II-AA PLAYOFF BRACKET
The Division II-AA championship is scheduled for Thursday, Dec. 3.
Tennessee Division II-A High School Football Playoff Bracket
Division II-A features Nashville Christian, Middle Tennessee Christian, University School of Jackson and several other programs hoping to reach Chattanooga.
Nashville Christian, Middle Tennessee Christian and University School of Jackson received first-round byes.
Trinity Christian opens against Providence Academy, while Jackson Christian faces Ezell-Harding.
Other opening-round games include Providence Christian against Donelson Christian, Concord Christian against Fayette Academy and Friendship Christian against Franklin Christian.
Division II-A First-Round Matchups — Nov. 6
- Providence Academy at Trinity Christian
- Ezell-Harding at Jackson Christian
- Donelson Christian at Providence Christian
- Fayette Academy at Concord Christian
- Franklin Christian at Friendship Christian
Nashville Christian, Middle Tennessee Christian and University School of Jackson received first-round byes.
VIEW THE OFFICIAL TENNESSEE DIVISION II-A PLAYOFF BRACKET
The Division II-A state championship is scheduled for Thursday, Dec. 3.
Tennessee SEEC Football Playoff Bracket
The Southeast Education and Exhibition Conference (SEEC) football tournament is a separate postseason competition from the nine TSSAA championship classifications.
Its championship matchup is already set, with Freedom Cowboys facing South Haven Christian on Friday, Nov. 6.
Freedom Cowboys advanced with a 58-43 semifinal victory over Tennessee Heat, while South Haven Christian defeated Christian Community 62-32.
South Haven Christian enters the championship game undefeated, while Freedom Cowboys is looking to complete its postseason run with a title.
SEEC Championship — Nov. 6
- South Haven Christian at Freedom Cowboys
SEEC Semifinal Results
- Freedom Cowboys 58, Tennessee Heat 43
- South Haven Christian 62, Christian Community 32
VIEW THE TENNESSEE FOOTBALL PLAYOFF BRACKETS
When Are the 2026 Tennessee High School Football State Championships?
The TSSAA BlueCross Bowl state championships are scheduled for Dec. 3-5 at Finley Stadium in Chattanooga.
The three Division II championships are scheduled for Thursday, Dec. 3.
The Division I Class 1A, 3A and 5A championship games follow Friday, Dec. 4.
The Division I Class 2A, 4A and 6A championship games conclude the postseason Saturday, Dec. 5.
Where Are the Tennessee High School Football State Championships Played?
All nine TSSAA championship games will be played at Finley Stadium in Chattanooga.
The venue will host three days of championship football, bringing together teams from across Tennessee to determine the state's 2026 champions.
What's Next in the Tennessee High School Football Playoffs?
The first round of the TSSAA playoffs begins Friday, Nov. 6, with teams across the state competing for the opportunity to advance.
The second round follows Nov. 13, with additional elimination games scheduled Nov. 20 and the state semifinals Nov. 27.
The postseason concludes Dec. 3-5, when nine TSSAA state champions will be crowned in Chattanooga.
High School On SI will continue updating the official Tennessee high school football playoff brackets with final scores, upcoming matchups and championship information throughout November and December.

Gary Adornato is the Publisher of High School On SI. He began covering high school sports with the Baltimore Sun in 1982. In 2003, he became one of the first journalists to cover high school sports online while operating MIAASports.com, the official website of the Maryland Interscholastic Athletic Association. Later, Adornato pioneered market-wide coverage of high school sports with DigitalSports.com, introducing video highlights and player interviews while assembling an award-winning editorial staff. In 2010, he launched VarsitySportsNetwork.com which became the premier source of high school media coverage in the state of Maryland. In 2022, he sold VSN to The Baltimore Banner and joined High School On SI as East Coast Managing Editor. He took over as VP of Content in 2024 and assumed the title of Publisher in 2026.