IHSA Football Playoffs 2025: Everything You Need to Know

Why this matters: Understanding the IHSA playoff system helps fans, players, and coaches stay informed about the road to the state championship.

The Illinois High School Association (IHSA) football playoffs are a highly anticipated event, showcasing the best high school football teams in the state. The playoff field consists of 256 teams divided into eight classes based on school enrollment. Teams automatically qualify by achieving six or more wins during the regular season or by winning their conference. For teams with five wins or less, playoff points become crucial. Playoff points are calculated by summing the total wins of all opponents on a team's schedule, rewarding teams that played tougher schedules. This year, 155 teams have already clinched a playoff berth with six wins. The remaining spots will be filled by teams with five wins and the highest number of playoff points. If necessary, four-win teams with exceptional playoff point totals may also qualify. The IHSA uses a system of "playing up" and "success adjustments" to ensure fair competition. Schools can choose to play in a higher classification, and teams that have experienced significant success in recent years may be moved up a class. The playoff brackets are determined based on geography and seeding. In Classes 1A through 6A, the field is divided into halves based on location, and teams are seeded within their half. Classes 7A and 8A are fully seeded, with teams ranked 1 through 32. The higher seed hosts the first-round game, and subsequent rounds are hosted by the team that has hosted fewer games throughout the playoffs. The IHSA playoff pairings show will be broadcasted live, revealing the brackets and matchups for each class. The championship games will be held at Hancock Stadium in Normal, with the smaller classes playing on Friday and the larger classes on Saturday.

Teams qualify by winning at least six games or having enough playoff points with five or fewer wins.

Playoff points are the sum of wins of all the opponents on a team's schedule.

The championship games are held at Hancock Stadium in Normal.

What are your predictions for the 2025 IHSA football playoffs? Which teams do you think will make a deep run? Share your thoughts and predictions in the comments below!

Share this article with others who need to stay ahead of this trend!