Following the conclusion of the regular season Saturday night, 12 teams in each of the 28 regions across Ohio’s seven divisions have punched their ticket to the postseason. The release marks the first year of a significant format change, with the top four seeds in every region earning a first-round bye.
The new structure, which reduced the field from 16 qualifiers to 12, means this coming Friday, October 31st, will see four first-round matchups in each region, with all games hosted by the higher seeds.
Key Matchups and Top Seeds
Several powerhouse programs secured their spots and will rest this week, setting up home quarterfinal games on November 7th:
* Division I: Top seeds like Lakewood St. Edward and Cincinnati Elder in their respective regions earned a break after completing dominant regular seasons. Their opponents will be decided by the winners of the 8 vs. 9 seeds.
* Division II: Unbeaten teams like Medina Highland and Wadsworth, as well as Akron Archbishop Hoban, secured the critical byes in their regions, positioning them as heavy favorites.
* Small School Battles: The new format creates compelling initial matchups, such as the No. 9 vs. No. 8 seed games, which are often toss-ups. One key first-round game will be No. 9 Piqua traveling to face No. 8 Withrow in Division I, Region 2.
New Format in Action
The decision to implement first-round byes was a major point of discussion in the offseason. Under the new system:
* The No. 5 seed will host the No. 12 seed.
* The No. 6 seed will host the No. 11 seed.
* The No. 7 seed will host the No. 10 seed.
* The No. 8 seed will host the No. 9 seed.
All first-round games are scheduled for a 7 p.m. kickoff on Friday, October 31. The higher seed will host games through the regional semifinals, with the Regional Finals being held at neutral sites on November 21st. The 2025 State Championship Games are slated for December 4-6 at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium in Canton.
Full brackets and ticket information for all regional contests are available on the OHSAA website.