How to Qualify for the State Football Playoffs

How to Qualify for the State Football Playoffs

We look at the Qualifying process for the State Football Playoffs for the 2022 Season.  This is pulled from the CHSAAnow.com Bulletin.

Class 2A thru 6-Man

Qualifying Format

The seeding committee for all Classifications will be the members of the football committee, minus any active coaches.  If necessary, replacements for the active coaches will come from the same classification in roughly the same geographic area of the state.  The committee will meet at the CHSAA office on the Sunday following the final week of the regular season. 

Following the end of the regular season, the procedures listed below will be utilized to capture the playoff bracket and serve as the criteria used for seeding the bracket. 

The top 16 teams (24 in 4A & 5A) in the classification based on the final RPI rankings will qualify for the post-season bracket.  Each conference champion will automatically be placed on the playoff bracket.  Conference champions are determined by the conference Bylaws or policies.  If a conference champion is not ranked in the top 16 based on the final RPI ranking, they will replace the lowest ranked team that is not a conference champion in the top 16.

Seeding Criteria (Once qualifies are determined)

Two sources of data will be collected and used when seeding teams for the playoff bracket: RPI Ranking System and MaxPreps with each source of data collected at the end of the regular season will be equally weighted.  Packard and Coaches Poll are eliminated from seeding criteria data.

The two sources of data collected will be utilized to place teams on the 16-team bracket.  Once on the bracket, teams can be moved one spot at maximum based upon a head-to-head regular season game, if they are consecutive seeds on the bracket.

If the scenario exists where three of more consecutive seeded teams have all played one another, they will remain as originally placed on the bracket

A conference champion not ranked in the top 16 of the final RPI rankings will be placed in the bracket. 

When possible, conference opponents will not be paired against one another in the first round and geography will be a consideration in the first round.  These adjustments can be made for seeds 9 thru 16.

Playoff Hosting Policy and Procedure

The higher seeded team shall be the host in the first round.  In subsequent rounds, the team with the fewest number of home games shall be the host.  If equal, the following criteria will determine the host:

If opponents are from the same conference, the school with the higher conference standing in the regular season shall host.

If opponents are not from the same conference, the higher seed shall host.

Informational Items

Following the first round of the playoffs, if both teams have played the same number of home games during the playoffs, the team with higher seed will host.

6-Man thru 3A Championship game sites will be hosted at CSU-Pueblo, 4A and 5A will be hosted at Empower Field at Mile High.