A New Benchmark for High School Football
High School Football America has just announced the Elite 1100, a comprehensive list that ranks the top 1,100 high school football programs nationwide for the 2026 season. The rankings were generated using HSFA’s proprietary algorithm, a closely guarded formula that evaluates performance, talent depth and competitive impact across the country.
The Elite 1100 spans 39 states plus the District of Columbia, with Texas, Florida, California, Georgia and Ohio emerging as the states that contribute the most programs. This geographic spread underscores the breadth of football talent that exists beyond traditional powerhouses, highlighting rising programs that are beginning to make their mark on the national stage.
What makes the Elite 1100 particularly compelling is its lack of a strict ordering within each state. Rather than imposing a rigid hierarchy, the list presents the top programs in a format that allows coaches, scouts and fans to appreciate the relative strength of each team without the constraints of a single, linear ranking.
The release of the Elite 1100 serves as a springboard for the upcoming Preseason High School Football America 300 national rankings, scheduled to drop on June 22, 2026. Those rankings will narrow the field to the top 300 programs and will further refine the conversation about which teams are poised to dominate the upcoming season.
Beyond the numbers, the Elite 1100 captures the competitive excellence that defines high school football today, from storied programs with decades of success to emerging squads that are rapidly closing the gap. As HSFA celebrates the 15th year of its national rankings in 2026, the Elite 1100 marks another milestone in a journey that continues to shape the narrative of high school sports across the United States.