GHSA alters 2026 high school football state championship schedule

The Georgia High School Association has changed its usual layout for this fall's football state championships.

Over the past few years, flag football has been at the start of each day of football, and the championships have spread across three full days of action from sunup to sundown. However, this year, in accordance with the addition of a fifth flag football division, Mercedes Benz Stadium has decided to split them up.

Football will be two days in length, between Tuesday, Dec. 15, and Wednesday, Dec. 16, while flag football will be the week before and only one day in length. Exact schedules with classification breakdowns will be released closer to the beginning of the 2026 playoff run, which kicks off round one on Friday, Nov. 13 and runs through Friday, Dec. 4.

"It was a request from MBS to allow the growing sport of girls flag football to stand alone," GHSA spokesperson Marvin James said in an email to the Athens Banner-Herald.

This story may be updated.

This article originally appeared on Athens Banner-Herald: GHSA alters 2026 high school football state championship schedule