GHSA reverses 2023 change to restore 7A classification, all groups to use post season rankings after 2025

The Georgia High School Association State Executive Committee met on Monday to discuss a few key items, including reclassification and the use of the newly introduced post season rankings for playoff seeding.

The Reclassification Committee and SEC each voted unanimously to restore the seven classification system with votes of 18-0 and 68-0 respectively, reversing their 2023 decision to consolidate classifications.

The original ruling moved Houston County, Northside and Veterans down to 5A from 6A, Warner Robins down to 4A (after an appeal to play down), while Perry remained at 4A.

HoCo, Northside and Veterans’ region remained mostly the same after the change, switching Tift County out for Coffee the last two years as the Blue Devils remained at 6A. Warner Robins and Perry faced the most sweeping changes, giving them region opponents in the Savannah area as opposed to McDonough, Macon or other surrounding areas.

What this means for the regions from 2026 through 2028 is to be seen, and likely depends on if everyone returns to their previous classifications.

The biggest news of the day comes in the classification-wide adoption of the post season ranking formula for determining playoff seeding, which has been used in divisions A-3A since 2024.

The most substantial (theoretical) change is that the top four of each region are no longer guaranteed a playoff spot. Only the region champion is, while the post season ranking formula will seed the remaining spots.

The PSRF is determined by three things: Winning percentage (WP), opponents’ winning percentage (OWP) and opponents’ opponents’ winning percentage (OOWP). Home wins are equal to 0.9 points, away wins are 1.1 and neutral site or non-GHSA wins are 1 point. This is the formula listed on the GHSA website: PSRF = (WP*0.35) + (OWP * 0.35) + (OOWP * 0.30).

That formula determines the seeding, with the highest spots going to region champions sorted by the PSRF. For example, if the season ended today Houston County would be ranked first out of 32 teams in the bracket with a 0.71496 post season ranking. Hughes would be second with 0.71226, Thomas County Central third with 0.70769 and so on.

The biggest changes with this system will be towards the bottom of the bracket, with the playoff spot of those in the third and fourth spots of weaker regions no longer being guaranteed. Those spots could go to teams in tougher regions (Region 2-5A) who finished lower, but have a higher PSR and give them a chance to host a playoff game without a top two finish.

It should shake things up, but how it will work in practice will be seen in the next two years.