The Ohio High School Athletic Association has officially announced the divisional breakdowns and playoff regions for the upcoming 2025 football season, with 706 schools slated to participate in 11-man football across seven divisions.
The divisional adjustments include 46 schools that were moved up a division due to the OHSAA’s competitive balance process, with 12 of those schools being newly elevated this year based on roster data analysis from the previous season. No schools in Divisions II through VII chose to move up to Division I voluntarily.
For summer preparation, schools are permitted up to 13 days of practice without pads beginning May 12. An additional five-day acclimatization period can start as early as July 15. While the OHSAA does not impose limits on physical fitness and conditioning workouts during summer months, these structured practice periods provide important preparation time for teams.
OHSAA Executive Director Doug Ute noted that the association recently conducted a survey with member schools regarding potential changes to the postseason tournament format, with more information on those results expected to be released at a later date.
The 2025 season will begin with practices starting August 1, followed by regular-season games commencing the week of August 18, with the first Friday falling on August 22. The regular season concludes on October 25, with playoff qualifiers to be announced the following day.
The playoff schedule progresses through regional rounds beginning October 31, with regional quarterfinals on November 7, semifinals on November 14, and finals on November 21. State semifinals will take place on November 28, leading to the championship games scheduled for December 4-6 at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium in Canton.
Tim Stried, Director of Media Relations for OHSAA, confirmed that the complete breakdown of divisions and regions can be accessed on the OHSAA website.
The divisional structure for the 2025 season organizes schools based on adjusted enrollment figures, with Division I consisting of 72 schools with enrollments of 592 or more male students. Division II will include 104 schools with enrollments between 378 and 591, while Division III comprises 107 schools with 268 to 377 students. Division IV has 105 schools (202-267 students), Division V includes 106 schools (157-201 students), Division VI consists of 106 schools (112-156 students), and Division VII rounds out the field with 106 schools having enrollments of 111 or fewer students.
The announcement comes as schools across Ohio prepare for their summer training regimens, with the competitive landscape taking shape for what promises to be another exciting season of high school football.
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