jason.koon

High school playoffs in North Carolina will run a little bit different this year than in years past.

In 2023, the North Carolina Athletic Association voted to expand the state's athletic classification system from four classes to eight, beginning with the 2025-26 school year. Along with the changes came a conference realignment and new playoff formats to accommodate the smaller classes.

Smaller brackets, but more teams

According to the 2025 NCHSAA handbook, the team playoff brackets have been reduced from 64 teams to 48 teams this year in classes 1A through 7A. The 8A bracket will contain 24 teams.

This means the top 16 teams in classes 1A through 7A will receive first-round byes this year. According to information provided by the NCHSAA, the idea is to give more teams an o

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