Prep Football: Major Playoff & Division Changes Starting This Season

Photo Credit: Nicole Noel Photography

The landscape of high school football in the CIF San Diego Section is getting a significant facelift just in time for the 2026 season. Following the release of the Section's latest postseason structure adjustments, it is clear that the road to a championship will look very different next fall. From divisional realignment and playoff seeding changes to a new competitive balance formula, the Section is implementing some of the most impactful football reforms in recent memory.

After a successful debut in 2025, MaxPreps will continue to serve as the official ranking system used to seed the San Diego Section Championship brackets, maintaining continuity while the postseason structure around it evolves.

One of the most noticeable changes comes in the makeup of the playoff divisions. The Open Division will remain an exclusive four-team field reserved for the Section's elite programs. Division 1, however, will shrink from 12 teams to just eight, making it even more difficult for teams to earn a spot in one of the Section's most prestigious brackets. Divisions 2, 3, and 4 will remain at 12 teams each, while Division 5 expands from 12 to 16 teams, creating more postseason opportunities for programs across the Section. The move appears designed to increase participation while preserving the competitive integrity of the upper divisions.

The playoff bye structure is also receiving a significant adjustment. In Divisions 2, 3, and 4, the top four seeds will continue to receive first-round byes. Division 5, however, will operate differently. With the bracket expanding to 16 teams, every team will be required to play in the opening round, eliminating byes altogether. 

The Section also clarified that the top 16 teams in the overall San Diego Section rankings will earn first-round byes during the postseason structure, creating an added incentive for teams to finish as high as possible in the rankings.

Perhaps the most significant change is the introduction of a new Playoff Pool system designed to improve competitive balance. Beginning in 2026, every football program will be assigned to a Playoff Pool based on a formula that incorporates a 70-30 model, enrollment factors, and a school's two-year ranking history. While teams will still be seeded according to their end-of-season rankings, they will no longer be allowed to move down more than one Playoff Pool when postseason brackets are created.

The practical effect of this rule could dramatically reshape the playoff landscape. Under the previous system, a traditionally strong program that struggled through a season could potentially drop multiple divisions and become an overwhelming favorite in a lower bracket. The new structure aims to eliminate that possibility. For example, if a school assigned to Playoff Pool No. 1 finishes the regular season ranked 38th overall, it would not be permitted to fall several divisions. Instead, it would be placed as the No. 12 seed in Division 2, the lowest division it is eligible to enter. The team originally occupying that position would then be pushed down to become the No. 1 seed in Division 3. Meanwhile, there are no restrictions on teams moving upward, allowing programs that outperform expectations to climb multiple divisions if their ranking warrants it.

College Football: AFCA Endorses 24-Team Playoff and the End of Conference Title Games

What a 24-team bracket could look like if the AFCA got its way.

DALLAS, TX — The structural foundations of modern college football are facing their most significant challenge yet. In a move that could redefine the sport’s postseason landscape, the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) has officially voiced its support for a massive expansion of the College Football Playoff (CFP) to a 24-team field. Perhaps more shockingly, the coaching body is also advocating for the total elimination of conference championship games to accommodate the expanded schedule.

As reported by Awful Announcing and various industry insiders this week, the AFCA’s recommendation signals a growing desire among the sport's primary stakeholders to move away from the current 12-team model in favor of a structure that mirrors the long-standing success of the NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision (FCS). This proposal aims to solve the dual problems of athlete workload and the perceived redundancy of the "13th game."

The Logic Behind the 24-Team Bracket

The push for 24 teams is not merely about including more programs; it is about creating a comprehensive national tournament that rewards regular-season excellence while providing a clearer path to the title. Under the AFCA’s envisioned model, the top eight seeds would likely receive a first-round bye, a format that has functioned effectively in the FCS for years.

By doubling the current 12-team field, the AFCA believes the sport can capture more national interest and mitigate the "opt-out" culture that has plagued non-playoff bowl games. Coaches argue that a larger field keeps more teams—and their fanbases—engaged deep into November. Furthermore, it provides a safety net for elite teams that may suffer an early-season stumble, ensuring the eventual champion is truly the best team playing at the end of the year.

NFL Owners Overhaul Kickoff and Officiating Protocols for 2026 Season

PHOENIX — In a move that signals a continued evolution of the modern game, NFL owners concluded their annual league meetings on Tuesday by ratifying five pivotal rule changes designed to reshape special teams strategy and tighten officiating oversight. The 2026 season will mark a significant departure from traditional game-flow norms, as the league doubles down on its "dynamic kickoff" experiment and creates a new safety net for officiating in the shadow of a potential labor dispute.

The atmosphere in Phoenix was one of calculated progress. While recent years have seen the league office debate radical overhauls, the 2026 modifications represent a refinement of the existing product. Rich McKay, co-chairman of the NFL Competition Committee, described the session as a "straightforward year" focused on logic and the "state of the game."

1. The Onside Kick: Total Tactical Freedom

The most dramatic shift for the 2026 season is the removal of timing and score restrictions on the onside kick. Previously, teams were restricted to declaring an onside attempt only in the fourth quarter when trailing. Under the new guidelines, a team can opt for an onside kick at any point in the game, regardless of whether they are winning, losing, or tied.

This change is largely a response to the "dynamic kickoff" rules implemented in 2024, which effectively neutralized the surprise onside kick. By allowing teams to declare an attempt at any time, the league hopes to reintroduce a layer of strategic volatility.

"We changed the onside kick, only from the idea that we allow you to kick it at any time," McKay explained. He noted that the shift was particularly relevant for scenarios involving penalty enforcements. "In the event that you have a penalty enforcement after a try and you’re going to kick off on the 50, there were just teams that said, ‘Well, why in the world would we kick it on side here?’... We just eliminated [the restrictions]."

The Detroit Lions’ Bold Proposal to Reshape NFL Playoff Seeding

Photo Credit: Nicole Noel Photography

The NFL offseason is always a time for reflection, roster adjustments, and, perhaps most intriguingly, rule change proposals. As teams prepare for the annual league meetings—scheduled for March 30 to April 2, 2025, in Palm Beach, Florida—the Detroit Lions have emerged as a leading voice in pushing for a significant shift in how the league structures its postseason. Their proposal? A dramatic overhaul of the NFL playoff seeding system that could reward regular-season performance over divisional titles, potentially altering the competitive landscape of the playoffs for years to come.

The Current System and Its Flaws

Under the NFL’s existing playoff format, each conference sends its four division winners and three wild-card teams to the postseason. The division winners automatically claim the top four seeds, regardless of their regular-season record, while wild-card teams—selected based on the best records among non-division winners—are slotted into seeds five through seven. This structure ensures that winning a division guarantees a home playoff game, a perk that’s long been a cornerstone of the league’s postseason design.

But this system isn’t without its critics. In seasons where a division is particularly weak, a team with a mediocre record can secure a top-four seed and a home game, while a wild-card team with a superior record is forced to hit the road. The 2024 season provided a stark example: the Minnesota Vikings, with a 14-3 record, earned the No. 5 seed as a wild card in the NFC North, while the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (10-7) and Los Angeles Rams (10-7) claimed the No. 3 and No. 4 seeds as division winners. The Vikings, despite having one of the league’s best records, were sent on the road to face the Rams in the wild-card round—a game they lost—while the Lions, who beat Minnesota in Week 18 to finish 15-2, secured the No. 1 seed and a first-round bye.

This disparity has fueled debates about fairness and competitive equity, and it’s precisely what the Lions are aiming to address with their proposal.

UFL Eyes Expansion: San Diego in the Mix?

Could spring professional football return to San Diego? The United Football League (UFL) today announced it has officially launched its first expansion process, and America's Finest City might just be on their radar.

San Diego's rich football history and passionate fan base make it a prime candidate. The NFL called San Diego home for 56 seasons before moving to Los Angeles in 2017, consistently drawing over 60,000 fans per game. The short-lived AAF's San Diego Fleet also saw growing support, averaging nearly 20,000 fans, during their brief 2019 stint.

The city's brand new Snapdragon Stadium, with its modern amenities and 35,000 seating capacity, would provide the perfect venue for UFL action. As an untapped market known for its love of sports, San Diego represents a golden opportunity for the league to bring professional football back to a city eager to embrace a new team.

Football in San Diego has always been a community affair, and a UFL team could enhance this by engaging with local culture and traditions. The economic impact could also be significant, with more jobs created and millions in benefits from hosting games.

While cities like Seattle and Oakland are also rumored contenders, San Diego's unique strengths are hard to ignore. 

The UFL currently consists of eight teams – the Arlington Renegades, Birmingham Stallions, Michigan Panthers, Houston Roughnecks, Memphis Showboats, San Antonio Brahmas, St. Louis Battlehawks and D.C. Defenders. The league is preparing to kick off its 2025 season on March 28, with a 10-week regular schedule and playoffs culminating in the June 14 championship.

Prep Football: CalPreps Pushes Back Against Criticism Over CIF San Diego Playoff Rankings

The introduction of a new playoff system in San Diego's high school football scene, implemented by the CIF San Diego Section (CIF-SDS), has sparked debate among coaches, administrators, and media. The system, which leverages CalPreps' computer rankings to assess team strength based on strength of schedule rather than just traditional win-loss records, has left some questioning its impact on the competitive landscape in its inaugural season.

Under the new system, playoff spots are assigned solely based on CalPreps' rankings, with league champion earning automatic bids. As a result, the bracket includes 21 teams with losing records and even three winless teams.

In a recent article titled "Computer trouble: San Diego’s new football playoff system creates problems, prompts questions," San Diego Union-Tribune columnist John Maffei questioned whether the new playoff structure truly highlights the best teams. Maffei wrote “the CalPreps.com computer rankings have opened the playoff door to winless teams and teams with losing records.”

However, it's important to note that even under previous systems, teams with poor records sometimes made the playoffs. For example, last year, St. Augustine would still have been a 12-seed in Division I with a 0-10 record. Similarly, in 2011, when enrollment alone determined divisions, 1-8-1 Lincoln faced off against 1-9 Ramona in the opening round of Division III. This suggests that the inclusion of teams with losing records is not a new phenomenon or solely attributable to CalPreps' rankings.

Prep Football: CalPreps.com Shuts Down, Leaving Playoff Systems in Disarray

Photo Credit: Nicole Noel Photography

In an unexpected move, CalPreps.com, a widely relied-upon platform for high school sports data and rankings, has announced its immediate shutdown. The closure has sent shockwaves through the high school sports community, particularly impacting organizations like the CIF San Diego Section, which depended on CalPreps for critical playoff seeding data.

According to a notice posted on their website, CalPreps cited a contract dispute with CBS, the parent company of MaxPreps, as the primary reason for halting operations. The statement claims CBS repeatedly breached its contract by failing to fulfill financial obligations to CalPreps, marking the eighth occurrence since CBS acquired MaxPreps in 2007.

CalPreps revealed that it is now "out of funds" and has been "forced to cease operations." While they plan to pursue legal action against CBS to recover the unpaid funds and seek damages, they acknowledged that litigation could drag on for months or even years before any resolution is reached.

Impact on the CIF San Diego Section Playoffs

The CIF San Diego Section, along with other sections around the country, had been using CalPreps' data and rankings to determine playoff pairings. This sudden shutdown leaves a significant gap in their decision-making process. With the 2024 playoffs approaching, the San Diego Section and other affected organizations must now scramble to find alternative solutions. Seedings are scheduled to take place on Sunday, November 3rd. 

Here are some potential options they might consider:

Revive the in-house Power Rankings: Before using Cal Preps, the San Diego Section created its own methodology for ranking teams and determining playoff seedings. They currently use it for Field Hockey, Volleyball, and Water Polo.

Partner with another sports data provider: While CalPreps suggests this might be challenging to arrange mid-season, the section could explore an emergency partnership with another reputable sports data company such as Massey Ratings.

Revert to traditional methods: The section could temporarily return to using win-loss records, strength of schedule, and committee decisions to determine playoff seedings.

Petition MaxPreps/CBS: As suggested by CalPreps, high school football organizations across the country could attempt to convince CBS to resolve the dispute quickly and restore the CalPreps service.

CalPreps was a great resource that was utilized to create content on this platform since we started in 2011. We hope this issue gets resolved quickly and that CalPreps can continue to be a trusted source for prep football data. Their contributions have been invaluable to the high school sports community, and their absence will leave a significant void. Whether through legal resolution or new agreements, we remain hopeful that CalPreps will return to provide the detailed insights and rankings that teams, coaches, media, and fans across the country have come to rely on.

Breaking Down the New San Diego Prep Football Playoff Format

The CIF San Diego Section, along with representatives from across the county, has greenlit a groundbreaking change to the 11-man high school football playoff system, set to debut this upcoming season. Division placements will now be determined at the end of the Regular Season, using Cal Preps rankings. This marks a departure from the previous method where teams were locked into playoff divisions before the season based on results from the previous year. The newly approved format, passed on March 20th, is designed to foster a more intense, fair, and competitive postseason structure.

Let's explore the exciting changes and potential challenges: