GAINESVILLE, Fla. — During their last meeting of the 2023-24 school year, the FHSAA Board of Directors approved a new eight-team Championship Division for the state playoffs in every sport.
The Championship Division will combine the top eight teams in the state for one single state title game regardless of their classifications. The teams will be chosen based on MaxPreps rankings.
All other schools not in the new division will still compete in their normal classifications, and the Championship Division will not go into effect until the 2026-27 school year.
"What if one of them says, 'I don't want to be in the top eight. I want to compete in my own classification because I feel like I have a chance to win. But if I jump in the top eight, I might not win.' So how are we going to make them be in the top eight? I don't think we can do that," said FHSAA Board of Directors member Ricky Bell.
Bell also noted that by waiting until 2026, they can make any necessary changes to the Championship Division before it officially goes into effect.