THOMASTON — The GHSA has made many shifts in its classification and region alignments over its storied history.
Entering the 2026-27 school year, the state organization decided at the GHSA State Executive Committee meeting Monday in Macon to alter the landscape of high school sports in Georgia in a drastic way.
In the 2026-27 season, all of the GHSA’s classifications will now use ‘post season rankings’ to determine playoff seedings throughout each of the new-look classifications.
“It’s very similar to the same system the NCAA uses, the RPI system (rating percentage index),” said GHSA Associate Director Donn Corr.
There will also be shifts in the classifications this season versus what will take the field in the upcoming Fall.
Remaking an appearance is Class 7A, which will basically be the current Class 6A. While Class 6A will be the old Class 5A, Class 5A is the old Class 4A, Class 4A is the old Class 3A, Class 3A is the old Class 2A.
The new Class 2A will replace the old Class A Div. I, while the new Class A will replace the old Class A Div. II (sans private schools). The new private classification consists of the private programs from Classes 2A-4A.
It comes down to addressing concerns some regions feel far more competitive than others.
‘The goal is to get the top 32 teams to the playoffs,” said Gainesville head coach Adam Lindsey on the Georgia High School Sports Daily show. “And in this new formula, the region champion will be guaranteed a 1-16 seed. And then everyone else has to ‘post-season rank formula’ into the playoffs.”
When one region only has four teams and they each qualify for the playoffs, and get swept in the first rounds, it begs the question of which teams were left out to accommodate, by default, teams that might not make it in a region with five, six or seven programs.
“I want all of my athletes to have a chance to make the playoffs,” Corr said of one of the comments in the meeting Monday in Macon. “This system gives every athlete in the whole state a chance to make the playoffs. If you're in a really tough region, and you know that you're not going to be able to get one of the top four places for the playoffs and you finish fifth, you could make the playoffs. You could make the playoffs for sixth place.”
As written in the GHSA Meeting Agenda: ‘Eliminates A Division I/Division II to move to a unified A– 7A structure with schools being divided into seven classifications based on the following approximate percentages of football playing schools: Class 7A (largest 13%); Class A (smallest 12%); Classes 2A, 3A, 4A, 5A and 6A, divided equally among the 5 classes at 15%.
‘When football playing schools opt to move up in classification, only the exact number of football playing schools at the bottom of the next class will be given the option to come down.’
The agenda also noted ‘The organization will use postseason rankings 1–32 to rank playoffs in all classifications. Region champions will host the first round. Any region champion not ranked in the top 16 teams will be moved into a top 16 spot and teams will move down to the next available position.
‘All teams will be ranked by their postseason rankings with the exception of the above mentioned. GHSA tie breakers for an equal Postseason Ranking score will be 1. head-to-head, 2. highest PSR Winning Percentage, 3. highest OWP, 4. Highest OOWP.
‘Teams are required to compete in a region and play the minimum number of contests as stated by each sports general information and playing rules books to qualify. A team playing a non-region schedule cannot qualify for the playoffs.’ The new teams list for Classification will be available in early-November and then, following an appeals process, the Region Alignments will be determined in mid-November.
Below are what the new classes will look like.
• Class 7A (old 6A)
• Class 6A (old 5A)
• Class 5A (old 4A)
• Class 4A (old 3A)
• Class 3A (old 2A)
• Class 2A (old Class A Div. I)
• Class A (old Class A Div. II, no private schools)
• 2A-4A Private (formerly A-3A Private)
