MIAMI — The Open Division is coming to Florida high school football next year, but it’s still uncertain how the eight teams will be determined.
Craig Damon, executive director of the Florida High School Athletic Association, told the USA TODAY Florida Network on Dec. 12 that he is open to having human oversight over the process.
“We plan to have something besides just rankings,” Damon said. “We’re exploring options.”
The Open Division will feature the top eight teams in the state in their own bracket, separate from the other classes.
Had it been based solely on the regular season FHSAA power rankings, the eight teams in the Open Division in 2025 would have been DeLand, Cardinal Mooney, Vero Beach, Buchholz, Miami Northwestern, Mandarin, Carrollwood Day and Bolles.
That list would have been controversial for many reasons, including the exclusion of national power St. Thomas, which won its seventh consecutive state title on Dec. 11.
Carrollwood Day, which lost to eventual Class 1A state champion Cardinal Newman in the state semifinals, ended the regular season with 120th highest strength of schedule in Florida.
Having human oversight, similar to the College Football Playoff Committee, would allow the FHSAA to ensure that the best teams in the state make the cut.
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: FHSAA open to human oversight over Open Division football teams in 2026
Reporting by Jon Santucci, USA TODAY NETWORK – Florida / Palm Beach Post
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
