Eight Ohio Schools Elevate to Division I
The Ohio High School Athletic Association announced that eight member schools have formally requested to compete in Division I for the 2026 football playoff season.
Because all eight were originally placed in Division II, their move forces a reshuffling of regional brackets, prompting the OHSAA to reassign schools across the state.
Regional Shifts and Divisional Impacts
Region 1 now welcomes five of the newly promoted programs — Austintown‑Fitch, Cleveland Heights, Elyria, Euclid and Hudson — while Region 2 gains three institutions: Clayton Northmont, Dublin Scioto and Toledo St. John’s Jesuit.
Two schools, Perrysburg and Toledo Whitmer, will shift from Region 1 to Region 2, and a separate realignment moves Lebanon, Middletown and Springboro from Region 3 to Region 4, with Upper Arlington sliding from Region 2 to Region 3.
These adjustments swell Division I to roughly 80 schools and trim Division II to about 98, reflecting the broader impact of recent consolidations in the Cleveland Metropolitan and Youngstown City school districts.
The association will gather enrollment figures from the affected schools on September 10, a deadline that will determine final divisional breakdowns for the remaining fall sports later this week and for winter sports next week.