The Florida High School Athletic Association (FHSAA) voted in June 2024 to adopt an Open Division for football, a move that will reshape the state’s playoff structure beginning this fall.
Open Division Format Details
Under the new format, the eight highest‑ranked teams according to the MaxPreps statewide poll will be placed into a dedicated bracket, while the remaining schools will continue to be seeded by the FHSAA’s power rankings.
Because IMG, the program that finished the 2025 regular season atop the MaxPreps list, is barred from postseason competition, the Open Division will effectively feature the next eight teams, including Miami Northwestern, Miami Central, Cardinal Mooney, St. Thomas Aquinas, Chaminade‑Madonna, Raines, Armwood and Buchholz.
The ripple effect would have been profound. Without those eight programs, the seedings in Classes 6A, 5A, 3A and 2A would have shifted dramatically, opening pathways for teams such as Mandarin, Coconut Creek and Riverdale that otherwise would have been eliminated early.
In Class 6A, Armwood fell to West Boca 14‑13 in the semifinals, while Buchholz upset the No. 2 seed Mandarin 27‑20 in the regional final. In Class 5A, St. Thomas Aquinas, a seven‑time champion, would have been absent, potentially allowing McArthur or Coconut Creek to advance.
Class 3A would have seen Northwestern, Miami Central and Raines all competing in the same bracket, a scenario that could have altered the regional dynamics. Raines, which dominated Region 1 with margins of at least 37 points, would have faced a different set of opponents.
Meanwhile, Cardinal Mooney’s run to a Class 2A title, in which they won all five playoff games by at least 20 points, might have been challenged by the absence of Chaminade‑Madonna, the perennial powerhouse that typically reshapes the 1A bracket.
The FHSAA’s decision reflects a growing desire to give the state’s elite programs a separate stage while preserving competitive balance for the broader membership. Whether the new Open Division will produce more exciting matchups or simply concentrate talent remains to be seen, but the early projections suggest a seismic shift in Florida high school football’s postseason landscape.