{
  "id": 13907025,
  "title": "AHSAA football state championships, what to know for 2026 playoffs",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/12/ahsaa-football-state-championships-what-to-know-for-2026-playoffs",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-10-12T08:02:41.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Yahoo Sports",
    "slug": "yahoo-sports",
    "url": "https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/ahsaa-football-state-championships-know-080241616.html"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "The Alabama High School Athletics Association (AHSAA) announces significant changes for its 2026 football postseason, effective November. A new classification format will be implemented, separating public and private schools into distinct classifications: Single A and Double A for private schools, and Class 1A-6A for public schools. The AHSAA state championship games will return to Mobile's Hancock Whitney Stadium for the first time in December 1-5. Public and private schools will compete in playoffs concurrently, starting November 6. The playoff brackets will see the Double A field expanded to 16 teams and the Class 6A field grow from 16 to 24 teams. The Class 7A classification will no longer exist, with the top 32 schools entering Class 6A. All eight Double A teams will automatically advance to the playoffs, whereas only the top four teams from each of the four regions in previous years qualified.",
  "summary": "The 2026 AHSAA football playoffs are looming. Here's everything you need to know before the postseason begins.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Yahoo Sports",
        "title": "Alabama high school football Week 8 schedule for Tuscaloosa AHSAA, AISA teams",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/12/alabama-high-school-football-week-8-schedule-for-tuscaloosa-ahsaa",
        "published": "2026-10-12T10:03:04.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}