The Florida High School Athletic Association is expanding this season’s postseason football playoffs with the addition of 32 more teams.
On Thursday, the FHSAA sent an announcement to member schools that says two new invitational brackets will be added to include teams that fall short of qualifying for the state championship series.
The Florida Invitational (FIT) playoffs will make room for 16 teams in Class 4A through 7A and 16 in the 1A through 3A divisions to experience postseason bracket play.
Teams that could be on the bubble between the championship bracket and the FIT series include 7A Region 1 contenders Hagerty, Lake Brantley, Winter Park and Sanford Seminole. Based on this week’s power rankings one of those teams would miss the state playoffs.
Ocoee, ranked No. 8 in 7A Region 2, would also be right on the cutoff. Eight teams qualify for the state series in each of the four regions within the 1A-7A classifications.
Lake Howell and Oviedo are currently just outside the top eight for 6A Region 2.
There is no change to the traditional championship format. The four district champions in each region are assured state series slots. They’re joined by four teams that earn at-large berths based on FHSAA ratings. Those rankings will then determine what 32 teams are invited to participate in the two new FIT divisions.
Schools will not have to participate in the FIT playoffs.
“They can opt out,” FHSAA executive director Craig Damon told the Sentinel. “Some may choose to just go on and start their winter sports. We’re not going to force them to play.”
Damon said the invitational plan benefits teams that are not on the same level as state contenders.
The early reaction from coaches about the plan varies.
Dr. Phillips head coach Rodney Wells said he was “Not at all interested” in an invitational bid.
“If we don’t make the playoffs we don’t deserve to be invited anywhere for postseason play. Just my thoughts for my school,” Wells said in reply to an email. The Panthers (5-1) are now in a good position, ranked No. 5 in 7A Region 3.
“I think it can benefit teams to get more experience,” said South Lake head coach Brad Lord. “Good for underclassmen.”
Lord took over a South Lake team that went 12 years without making the playoffs until the Eagles reached the first round last year and finished 7-4. South Lake is now rated No. 2 in 6A Region 2 with a 5-1 record.
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The FHSAA board of directors voted 12-0 last June in favor of expanding the FIT concept, which was launched experimentally in 2024 with an invitational bracket for 12 teams that fell short of making the 16-team Rural Classification state playoffs. That was branded as a big success for small-town schools.
Thursday’s memo said the FHSAA board gave Damon and his staff authority to determine the number of teams making the playoffs.
State championship brackets will have three rounds of regional play, Nov. 14, 21 and 28, followed by state semifinals, Dec. 5, and state finals, Dec. 10-13, at Pit Bull Stadium on the campus of Florida International University in Miami.
The FIT playoffs are set to have Thursday regional rounds on Nov. 13 and 20, semifinals on Nov. 28, and championship games hosted by Villages Charter School the weekend of Dec. 5-6 at H.G. Morse Stadium.
The Rural Division state championship game and FIT final will also be played Dec. 6 at the Villages stadium.
The FIT concept is likely to continue, and may be approved for other sports. But including more teams in the playoffs may stop when the FHSAA reclassifies schools for the 2026 and 2027 seasons. Damon has said eight football state championships is too many and he favors reducing the number of classifications.
Those decisions are expected to be made during or shortly after the association’s November 3 board meeting.
Varsity content editor Buddy Collings can be contacted by email at bcollings@orlandosentinel.com.
