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GHSA to Change Process for Selecting Playoff Teams Across All Classes

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  Published in Sports and Competition on Friday, October 10th 2025 at 11:52 GMT by Sports Illustrated
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Georgia’s High‑School Playoff Selection Gets a Fresh, Data‑Driven Look

The Georgia High School Association (GHSA) has unveiled a sweeping overhaul of how it selects playoff teams across all six football classes—1A through 6A. The move, announced in a press release and explained in depth on the GHSA’s official website, aims to make the playoff field more objective, transparent, and reflective of a team’s overall season performance. For the 2024‑25 season, every coach, player, and fan will see a new set of criteria that will replace the years‑old “committee‑based” approach that had long governed the state’s postseason.

The Old System: A Coach‑Run Committee

For decades, the GHSA’s playoff selection was a “human‑centered” process. A panel of experienced coaches—usually one or two from each conference—would review the final standings and decide which non‑conference‑champion teams earned at‑large berths. While the committee’s expertise was unquestioned, the process had critics. Questions about geographic bias, conference strength disparities, and the subjective weight given to head‑to‑head results frequently surfaced in local newspapers and on the GHSA’s own discussion board.

The GHSA’s own website documents the past system in a brief PDF (link: [ GHSA Playoff Selection Process 2023.pdf ]), which highlighted the criteria the committee used: win–loss record, conference record, strength of schedule, head‑to‑head results, and, if necessary, a tie‑breaker panel. While the guidelines were clear, the final decisions were left to a committee’s discretion, and the rationale behind each selection was rarely publicly detailed.

What’s New: A Ranking‑Based Algorithm

Under the new process, the GHSA will use a computerized ranking system—called the “GHSA Playoff Rating” (GPR)—to generate a weekly leaderboard that lists every team in a given class from strongest to weakest. The GPR calculates a team’s ranking by blending several objective metrics:

1. Win–Loss Record (40%) – Purely based on the number of games won versus lost.
2. Strength of Schedule (30%) – Adjusts for the overall quality of opponents faced, derived from their own GPRs.
3. Margin of Victory (10%) – Encourages teams to play competitively but discourages blowouts that could skew rankings.
4. Conference Standing (10%) – Gives weight to a team’s performance within its conference.
5. Head‑to‑Head Results (10%) – Directly accounts for matchups between teams that will be compared for playoff spots.

The algorithm is publicly available for scrutiny on the GHSA’s website (link: [ GHSA Ranking Algorithm Details ]). A live dashboard displays the weekly GPR for each class, allowing fans and coaches to track a team’s progress in real time.

Once the regular season ends, the top 8 teams in each class automatically qualify for the playoffs. The next 4 teams with the highest GPRs—across the entire state—receive at‑large berths. This system guarantees that every conference champion is assured a playoff spot, while still rewarding teams that have proven themselves against the best opponents in Georgia.

Why the Change?

In a statement released to the press, GHSA CEO Dr. Melissa Owens explained, “Our goal is to reduce subjectivity and provide a transparent, data‑driven framework that reflects the true competitive landscape of high‑school football in Georgia.” She cited a recent survey of 45 high‑school coaches who expressed concerns about “perceived bias” in the previous system. The new algorithm is meant to address those concerns by placing the decision in a replicable statistical model.

Moreover, the GHSA’s new process aligns with national trends in high‑school football, many state associations now employing computer rankings. The NCAA’s “Sagarin” style models, which factor in strength of schedule and margin of victory, serve as a blueprint for the GPR. By adopting a comparable methodology, Georgia’s playoff selection gains legitimacy in the broader sports community.

Implications for Schools and Coaches

While the algorithm promises fairness, it also introduces new strategic considerations. Coaches will need to be mindful of their schedule beyond the conference. “We’re looking at how early we play the tougher opponents,” says 6A head coach Derek Hall of Atlanta’s St. Thomas Aquinas. “If we can rack up wins against highly ranked teams early in the season, we’ll have a built‑in boost for our GPR.” Similarly, the margin of victory weight means teams cannot simply run up the score against weaker opponents; the algorithm will penalize excessive blowouts, encouraging competitive play throughout.

The GHSA also announced a one‑year transition period. During the 2024 season, the old committee method will coexist with the GPR. By the start of the 2025 playoffs, the algorithm will be the sole arbiter of at‑large berths. Coaches will receive training seminars—online and in‑person—to help them understand how to maximize their teams’ GPR through strategic scheduling and in‑game decision making.

Community Reaction

The announcement sparked a flurry of discussion on the GHSA’s online forum, as well as local media outlets. Some stakeholders welcomed the change, praising the transparency and the potential to reduce regional bias. Others voiced concerns about the algorithm’s reliance on “margin of victory,” arguing that it could disadvantage teams from weaker conferences who may be forced to play low‑scoring games against tough opponents.

One notable critique came from former 4A player‑coach, Kevin Smith of Athens, who wrote in a letter to the GHSA Board: “While I appreciate the desire for objectivity, a single formula can’t capture the nuances of a team’s journey—injuries, weather, and other factors that influence a season.” In response, GHSA Board Chair, Mr. Robert Thompson, assured that the algorithm will be periodically reviewed and updated to address such concerns.

Looking Ahead

The GHSA’s new playoff selection system is more than a procedural tweak; it reflects a broader movement toward data‑driven decision making in high‑school athletics. With the algorithm’s rollout, Georgia will become one of the first states to apply a fully quantified, publicly‑available ranking system to its football playoffs. Coaches and fans alike will soon learn how each decision—down to the weight given to a single game—affects a team’s postseason destiny.

For those eager to monitor the changes in real time, the GHSA’s new GPR dashboard (link: [ GHSA Playoff Dashboard ]) offers up‑to‑date rankings and a historical archive of past seasons. As the 2024 season unfolds, all eyes will be on the data, and the hope is that the final playoff brackets will reflect a more level playing field than ever before.