As the 2026 Colorado high school football regular season winds down, it's a good reminder that there are some playoff format changes for this two-year CHSAA cycle.
Classes 3A and 2A now have expanded playoffs to match 4A and 5A.
The old 16-team brackets are out, with the 2A and 3A postseason fields now including 24 teams.
Like the upper classes, that means the top eight seeds in those classifications receive first-round byes, hosting the winners of first-round games between seeds Nos. 9-24.
Playoff expansion impacts in Class 3A football
The Colorado Class 3A schedule and format is now identical to the 4A and 5A classifications. Previously, the 3A regular season ended a week later to align its early-December championship dates with the upper classes, due to having the smaller 16-team bracket.
The expanded 3A field is already having a noticeable impact this season. Take some Northern Colorado teams, for example.
NoCo teams like Berthoud (No. 13), Windsor (No. 16) and Silver Creek (No. 18) would be fighting for their playoff lives under the old 16-team format.
While another win in the final two weeks would still be beneficial, these teams are likely safe to make the 24-team field.
Colorado Class 2A playoff impacts, host differences
Class 2A now finishes its regular season one week earlier to accommodate the extra week needed for an expanded 24-team field, while still playing its championship on the last weekend of November with Class 1A and 8/6-man football.
Despite the 2A bracket and format being the same as the upper classifications, there are different hosting rules for 2A playoff games.
In Classes 3A through 5A, the higher seed hosts every playoff game until the state championship.
In Colorado Class 2A, the higher seed still hosts its first game. However, the home team for quarterfinal matchups "shall be that team which has had the fewer home games during the state playoffs. If both teams have had an equal number of home games the team with the higher designation will host that game."
The higher seed in 2A is still guaranteed to host in the semifinal round.
Host sites, schedule for CHSAA football state championship games
6/8-man and 1A/2A state title games:
- Nov. 27 (1:30 p.m.): 6-man state championship
- Nov. 27 (5 p.m.): 8-man state championship
- Nov. 28 (1:30 p.m.): 1A state championship
- Nov. 28 (5 p.m.): 2A state championship
(Games at CSU-Pueblo ThunderBowl)
3A/4A/5A state title games:
- Dec. 5 (10 a.m.): 3A state championship
- Dec. 5 (1:30 p.m.) 4A state championship
- Dec. 5 (5 p.m.): 5A state championship
(Games at CSU's Canvas Stadium)
Chris Abshire covers high school and community sports for the Coloradoan.
This article originally appeared on Fort Collins Coloradoan: There's a new playoff format for (some) Colorado high school football