The Georgia high school football playoff schedule is set, and the state's new ranking system has already sparked plenty of discussion.
Ahead of the 2026-27 school year, Georgia adopted a new playoff ranking system, the Post Season Rankings (PSR), for all of sports. The goal is to create a more fair postseason by ensuring the most deserving teams earn playoff spots, regardless of their region.
On Saturday, Nov. 7, the Georgia High School Association released the playoff brackets for all eight classifications.
Here is everything you need to know about how Georgia's new playoff system works:
How does Georgia's playoff system work?
Under the new format, the top 32 teams in each classification qualified for the playoffs, rather than automatically awarding postseason spots to the top four teams in each region.
Region champions, however, received automatic playoff berths. The GHSA used the PSR formula, its computer-based ranking system, to determine the remaining qualifiers and playoff seeds.
According to the GHSA, the PSR system rewards winning consistently, playing strong GHSA schedules, opponents who also win consistently and strong regional competition depth. The system has reduced emphasis on classification bonuses, margin of victory and subjective ranking systems.
What is the PSR formula?
The GHSA calculates its Post Season Rankings using three components:
- PSR = (WP x 0.35) + (OWP x 0.35) + (OOWP x 0.30)
Winning Percentage (WP): calculated as weighted wins divided by actual contests played. Any win over an in-state opponent is weighted at 1.0, while any non-GHSA opponent win is valued at 0.9.
Opponents' Winning Percentage (OWP): the average winning percentage of all the teams you played, excluding the games it played against your team.
Opponents' Opponents Winning Percentage (OOWP): the average OWP of your opponents' schedules.
Why did Georgia change its playoff system?
Georgia simply wanted a system that created a more competitive and fair playing field.
In previous years, teams in weaker regions could benefit from the postseason format, while teams in stronger regions were at a disadvantage. The state saw deserving teams miss the postseason simply because it was in a more competitive region, while teams with losing records in other regions earned a spot.
What issues have evolved within the PSR system?
While the new format was designed to create a more equitable playoff field, the PSR have also raised questions about accuracy and fairness.
- Due to missing or delayed score data, the original standings were altered. According to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, two schools were reportedly informed their teams had made the postseason before receiving emails three hours later stating that updated scores pushed them out of the bracket.
- The model produced some surprising results, including national powerhouse Buford, ranked No. 3 in USA TODAY Sports latest Super 25 rankings, landing at the No. 9 seed in Class 7A despite finishing the regular season 10-0. There were also instances in which teams with head-to-head victories over another team ended up with a lower seed.
- Because the formular relies heavily on in-state matchups, teams fail to gain any benefit from playing tough out-of-state or national powerhouses.
When do Georgia high school football playoffs begin?
First-round playoff games begin on Friday, Nov. 13. The championship games for all eight classifications will take place at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on Dec. 15-16.
Who are the top seeds in each class?
- Class 7A: Valdosta
- Class 6A: Thomas County Central
- Class 5A: Blessed Trinity
- Class 4A: Peach County
- Class 3A: Appling County
- Class 2A: Heard County
- Class A: Lincoln County
- Class 4A-2A Private: Prince Avenue Christian
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: How Georgia’s new high school football playoff system works, why it’s controversial
