The 2026 NCHSAA football playoffs move into the second round Friday, Nov. 13, with teams across North Carolina continuing their pursuit of eight state championships.
The opening round is complete, with the original field trimmed down considerably. The remaining contenders will battle through the East and West regional brackets, with higher-seeded teams hosting games through the regional finals.
NC Football News is your home for the 2026 NCHSAA football playoffs. Explore the brackets for all eight classifications below, including second-round matchups, updated schedules, scores, results and championship information throughout the postseason.
🏈 2026 NCHSAA Football Playoff Brackets: 1A-8A
Find your team’s playoff bracket. Select a classification below for first-round matchups, schedules, updated scores, results and analysis as teams advance toward the state championships.
1A | 2A | 3A | 4A | 5A | 6A | 7A | 8A
📄 Prefer to view/download the brackets in PDF form? View the official brackets released by the NCHAA on Oct. 31.
🔄 Last Updated: November 9, 2026 3:44 pm
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🏆 2026 NCHSAA Football Playoff No. 1 Seeds
The NCHSAA has established the top regional seeds for all eight classifications. Each tournament features separate East and West brackets, with the regional champions advancing to the state championship games.
| Class | East No. 1 Seed | West No. 1 Seed |
|---|---|---|
| 1A | Northside-Pinetown | Chatham Central |
| 2A | Tarboro | Corvian Community |
| 3A | Northeastern | North Stanly |
| 4A | East Duplin | Hibriten |
| 5A | Southeast Alamance | Crest |
| 6A | J.H. Rose | Asheville |
| 7A | Cleveland | Weddington |
| 8A | Millbrook | Hough |
Among the notable top seeds are defending champions Crest (5A) and Hough (8A), along with unbeaten Southeast Alamance (5A) and J.H. Rose (6A). Weddington leads a loaded 7A West bracket that also features Grimsley, Lake Norman and Reagan.
2026 NCHSAA Football Playoff Dates to Know
- ✅ Friday, Oct. 30 – Final regular-season games
- ✅ Saturday, Oct. 31 – NCHSAA releases official 1A-8A brackets
- ✅ Friday, Nov. 6 – First-round games at higher seed
- ➡️ Friday, Nov. 13 – Second-round games at higher seed
- Friday, Nov. 20 – Third-round games at higher seed
- Friday, Nov. 27 – Fourth-round games at higher seed
- Friday, Dec. 4 – Regional finals (East, West) at higher seed
- Dec. 10-12 – State championship games at neutral sites
How the 2026 NCHSAA Football Playoff Brackets Work
The 2026 NCHSAA football playoffs feature eight classifications, with teams divided into East and West regions.
- Classifications 2A–7A: 48-team tournaments, with 24 teams in each region. The top eight seeds in each region receive first-round byes.
- Classifications 1A and 8A: 24-team tournaments, with 12 teams in each region. The top four seeds in each region receive first-round byes.
Teams are seeded using the NCHSAA’s Ratings Percentage Index (RPI), which considers winning percentage and strength of schedule. Higher-seeded teams host games through the regional finals.
The NCHSAA’s football RPI formula consists of:
- Winning percentage (WP): 40%
- Opponents’ winning percentage (OWP): 40%
- Opponents’ opponents’ winning percentage (OOWP): 20%
The East and West regional champions meet in the state championship games Dec. 10–12.
2026 NCHSAA Football State Championship Sites
The NCHSAA has released its venues for the upcoming state championship games, to be played Dec. 10-12. Three sites have been chosen, with classification assignments and game dates/times to be announced at a later date:
- Kenan Stadium (UNC) will host four NCHSAA title games for the second year in a row. The iconic stadium in Chapel Hill has hosted 88 high school football championship events already, dating back to 1929.
- Moretz Stadium (Lenoir-Rhyne) will return as a host for two games for the second year in a row. Moretz was used for the first time in 2025 and also will host the upcoming women’s flag football title games on Nov. 14.
- Barker-Lane Stadium (Campbell) will make its debut as an NCHSAA football championship game host and also will feature two games.
2025 NCHSAA Football State Championship Results
8A: Hough 21, Millbrook 0
7A: Grimsley 24, Clayton 14
6A: Watauga 47, Middle Creek 25
5A: Crest 31, Hunt 14
4A: Reidsville 50, Brevard 20
3A: Shelby 84, Kinston 41
2A: Tarboro 22, Murphy 0
1A: Wilson Prep 9, Robbinsville 8
🏈 Explore NCHSAA 2026 Brackets
1A | 2A | 3A | 4A | 5A | 6A | 7A | 8A
More North Carolina high school football coverage
- NC High School Football Scoreboard – Find the latest scores, schedules and results from games across North Carolina.
- NC Football News Fabulous 15 Rankings – See our latest statewide Fabulous 15 rankings and the teams making a push toward the postseason.
- NCHSAA Football State Champions – Explore the history of North Carolina high school football state champions and championship results, from 1913 to present.
- 2025 NCHSAA Football Playoff Brackets – Look back at last season’s complete NCHSAA playoff brackets and results from 1A through 8A.
