Tim Stried

Director of Information Services

 

COLUMBUS — The final week of the 2015 OHSAA football regular season has arrived.

On Tuesday, the OHSAA will release the updated computer ratings. The regular season ends this Saturday night. Unless there is a discrepancy, the ratings become official at noon on Sunday.

The regional playoff brackets will be posted online that afternoon and the weekly release will be posted by 3 p.m.

When the OHSAA created the football playoffs in 1972, there were three divisions (called Class A, AA and AAA) and only one playoff qualifier per region (12 total playoff qualifiers).

Now in its 44th year, the postseason has expanded to seven divisions and 224 total playoff qualifiers.

Expansion occurred in 1980 to five divisions and two qualifiers per region, and then again in 1985 to four qualifiers per region. In 1994, a sixth division was added, while in 1999, the number of qualifiers per region increased to eight. The playoffs expanded to seven divisions in 2013.

Unless otherwise noted, Divisions II, III, V and VII will play at 7:30 p.m. on Fridays during the playoffs, while Divisions I, IV and VI will play at 7 p.m. on Saturdays.

Occasionally, that schedule changes during the first round is due to the host site having to share the stadium with another school (high school or college) or the site not having lights. In rounds two through four, any changes are typically due to a site hosting a playoff double-header.

Of the four divisions that play their playoff games on Friday nights (II, III, V and VII), one will be selected to play its state championship game on Thursday, Dec. 3.

The other three will play their state championship games on Friday, Dec. 4. Divisions I, IV and VI will play their state championship games on Saturday, Dec. 5.

Fans are encouraged to buy their playoff tickets in advance at the participating schools, which keep a percentage of the revenue.

For regional playoff games, tickets are $8 presale and $9 at the gate. All-session ticket books are currently on sale for the state championship games Dec. 3, 4 and 5 at http://go.osu.edu/OHSAAFB.

All-session ticket books in the club level, which are the chair-back seats on the west side of the stadium, are $105 each (good for all seven games) and also permit indoor access in the Huntington Club before, during and after each game.

All-session reserved ticket books on the east side of the stadium, which don’t include indoor access, are $84 each. Single game tickets will go on sale November 29 and cost $10 at the state finalist schools, or at the gate before each game for $15 (club level) and $12 (reserved).

Since 2013, the time slots for the state championship games will not be announced until the night of the state semifinals.

Of the divisions that play their playoff games on Friday nights during the playoffs (II, III, V and VII), one will be selected to play its state championship on Thurs., Dec. 3 at 7:30 p.m.

The schedule for the state championship games is as follows:

Thursday, Dec. 3

7:30 p.m. – Either Div. II, III, V or VII

Friday, Dec. 4

10 a.m. – Either Div. II, III, V or VII

3 p.m. – Either Div. II, III, V or VII

8 p.m. – Either Div. II, III, V or VII

Saturday, Dec. 5

10 a.m. – Either Div. I, IV or VI

3 p.m. – Either Div. I, IV or VI

8 p.m. – Either Div. I, IV or VI