In a preseason memo directed to coaches and athletic directors on Tuesday, the Ohio High School Athletic Association announced that all football playoff games will be played on Friday nights this season, with the exception of the state championship games.
The first two rounds of the playoffs (Weeks 11-12) will be played at the higher-seeded school, beginning on October 27 with first-round games.
Stadiums, such as Bellaire in eastern Ohio, that do not have lights, will still be permitted to host games on Saturday afternoon.
The regional semifinals, regional finals and state semifinals (Weeks 13-15) will all contested at neutral sites.
The seven divisional state championships return to Canton’s Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium.
Divisions I, II, III and VI are tentatively scheduled for Friday, December 1, but one of those games will be moved to Thursday, November 30 at a future date. Divisions IV, V and VII are slated for Saturday, December 2.
For a number of years, the OHSAA divided playoff games between Friday and Saturday nights, with four divisions competing on Fridays and the other three divisions playing on Saturday.
The OHSAA started to move away from that model last season with the first two rounds of the playoffs taking place on Friday night.
