Ohio bans Saturday games for high school football playoffs

High school football is meant to be played on Friday nights, but a lot of games take place on Saturdays – especially in the playoffs. That won’t be the case in the state of Ohio going forward, though.

Responding to requests by its coaches, the Ohio High School Athletic Association has banned playoff games on Saturdays. Instead, all postseason games through the state semifinals will take place on Fridays, per Jeff Gilbert at the Dayton Daily News.

“All playoff games through the state semifinals will be played on Friday nights… For several seasons the playoffs followed the Friday-Saturday model in the regional semifinals, regional finals and state semifinals. That schedule had Divisions I, II, III and V playing on Fridays and Divisions IV, VI and VIII playing on Saturdays…”

(Colerain quarterback Zacchaeus Jennings (7) hands off to running back Dashawn Hopper (10) in the second quarter of the first OHSAA DIV I Playoff game between the Mason High School Comets and the Colerain High School Cardinals at Atrium Stadium in Mason, Ohio, on Friday, Oct. 28, 2022.)

The first Friday night for teams in Ohio this year is August 18. The season runs through October 21.

More football stories

Jim Harbaugh, NCAA negotiating a 4-game suspension to start season

Nation’s No. 1 LB Justin Williams comments on Georgia commitment