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Thursday, Mar. 28, 2024

OHSAA approves football playoff change

SCOTT TRUXELL/independent sports editor

COLUMBUS — A big change is coming to the Ohio High School Athletic Association football playoffs.

Effective this fall, except for the state finals, all postseason games will be played on Friday nights. Most recently, those games were split by division over Friday and Saturday nights.

Crestview quarterback Drew Kline (10) finds running room during a 2016 Saturday night playoff game. Van Wert independent file photo
Crestview quarterback Drew Kline (10) finds running room during a 2016 Saturday night playoff game. Van Wert independent file photo

A formal announcement on the new format will be made will be made tomorrow.

By a unanimous vote, the change was approved late last week by OHSAA’s Board of Directors. The same measure was rejected last year.

A handful of factors were key in the decision to make the change — a desire by a majority of members of the Ohio High School Football Coaches Association to have all playoff games shifted to Friday only, declining attendance, dwindling revenue, and fewer neutral sites being unwilling or unable to host Saturday night games.

During a previous meeting, OHSAA commissioner Dr. Dan Ross noted the popularity of college football, especially Ohio State has had a negative effect on Saturday playoff game attendance.

No decision has been made if Friday night playoff games will kickoff at 7 or 7:30 p.m. During the regular season, the majority of leagues and conferences around the state kickoff at 7, but playoff games begin at 7:30. In the past, virtually all Saturday playoff games began at 7 p.m.

No changes will be made to state championship games. One game will be played on Thursday night, three on Friday, and the remaining three on Saturday.

Championship games this fall and in 2018 will be played at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium in Canton, then will return to Ohio Stadium in Columbus for at least two years.

POSTED: 06/05/17 at 7:28 am. FILED UNDER: Sports