KICKOFF COUNTDOWN: AHSAA makes changes to playoff structure
Catholic coach Aubrey Blackwell had questions concerning the decision by the AHSAA and the playoff set up for the private school classifications. (File Photo)
By TIM GAYLE
In the biggest shakeup since expanding the number of classifications in 1984, the playoff format will look drastically different in November for Alabama High School Athletic Association teams.
The 1984 change involved expanding from four classifications to six and changing from regions to areas. The 2026 change places all of the private schools in two separate classifications, dropping from seven classes to six and making playoff alterations to both the largest divisions in public school play (Class 6A) as well as private school (AA Private).
In AA Private, AHSAA officials apparently turned down a proposal from the private school committee and adopted a different version that pits all the members of a region against each other in the postseason.
“We asked for the one and two seeds to get a bye, for the three to play the six and the four to play the five and two teams not making it,” Catholic coach Aubrey Blackwell said. “The committee asked for six in each region, 12 total and we also asked for the first round to be at a neutral site with cross (region) play.
“Now, you literally have a region schedule, then you play a region tournament, then you get to play the other side, which is not right. That’s not even fair or good. You’re not even getting a true champion.”
In Class 6A, AHSAA officials elected to expand the playoffs to include 24 of the 32 teams, adding another round to the playoffs by giving the top eight teams a first-round bye.
“That just sounds like more games,” said Prattville senior wide receiver Deshawn Hall said. “But it really shows there is no reason at all Prattville shouldn’t be in the playoffs. We’re coming for it all. We’re coming for the blue map.”
The change to the 6A format is intriguing as the top two teams in each region receive first-round byes, the third through sixth seeds play teams in other regions and the bottom two teams in each region fail to qualify for the playoffs -- the exact same format that was approved for AA Private by a private school committee, yet rejected by AHSAA officials.
“Once they changed the format and bringing 24 teams, all it’s doing is the 1 and 2 teams get a bye and you’re bringing the top six teams (in each region),” JAG coach Delancey Tolliver said. “In that aspect, I believe it’s beneficial because in the 7A, which is now 6A, it’s always been the same teams on top.
“The situation we’ve been in the last few years, adding eight teams to the playoffs gives you that mindset that we can go make the playoffs.”
Prattville coach Bobby Carr would have qualified his Carver team for the playoffs in 2024 and his Prattville team for the playoffs in 2025 had the new format been in place.
“I like it,” Carr said. “The last two years, it has affected us, When I was at Carver, for the first time in 30-plus years, we were ranked in the top 10. A team was ranked in the top 10, which was us, and didn’t make the playoffs with three losses. I think it allows the state to have another round. I don’t think there was a coach in 7A, which is 6A now, that wasn’t for it.”
His players feel the same way.
“It’s a good format,” Prattville offensive lineman Watson Kidd said. “It would have given us an opportunity last year to be able to make a run. We played neck and neck with the best team in the state last year, the state champions.”
Blackwell, meanwhile, can’t understand why the exact same format proposed for AA Private wasn’t approved.
“We wanted cross (region) play in the first round,” he said. “We wanted to play at neutral sites so it made sense for everyone to travel and split the gate. That’s what the football committee submitted. That way, you don’t have to play the same teams back to back.”
Instead, the Class A Private division will play teams from other regions, while the AA Private teams will play three rounds of playoffs within their own region before advancing to the finals against a team from the other region.
“On the positive side of it, as bad as our gates are going to get hit because of the travel they put us in already, at least knowing you have a chance to host a playoff game and getting that money from that game it may soften the financial hit we’re all going to take because we’re not playing anyone local any more,” Blackwell said.