SAVANNAH, Ga. () — The Georgia High School Association will use a new system to determine playoff teams and seedings starting next school year.

As of now, for each classification, the four best teams in the region advance. However, for the 2026-2027 school year, the GHSA will build 32-team playoff brackets for each class by ranking schools statewide.

The only guaranteed spot goes to region champions, who will automatically be ranked in the top 16. Region champions will also host a first-round matchup. Every other team must qualify through the new formula.

The formula, called the Postseason Rankings (PSR), weighs a team’s winning percentage along with the records of its opponents and their opponents to decide who earns a berth in each classification’s 32-team bracket. It’s similar to the NCAA’s RPI model, according to the GHSA.

The GHSA first introduced the system in 2024 for Classes 3A, 2A, and Class A Division I, along with private schools. It will expand to every sport and classification, all in the hopes of getting the best teams into the playoffs.

Next year, teams must also meet minimum game requirements to be playoff-eligible. All sports except softball, baseball and volleyball kept their requirements the same. However, in baseball and softball, the new requirement is 20, down from 24. Volleyball drops to 16 dates or 30 matches from 16 dates or 32 matches.

Alongside the new playoff change, the GHSA approved a reclassification plan that reshapes its seven classes. What is now Class 6A will become 7A, while the two current Class A divisions will split into Class 1A and 2A.

Class 7A will have the largest 13 percent of schools, while Class 1A will have the smallest 12 percent. Classes 2A through 6A will be divided equally at 15 percent.

The GHSA did not make one interesting note regarding football-playing schools attempting to change classifications. “When football playing schools opt to move up in classification, only the exact number of football playing schools at the bottom of the next class will be given the option to come down,” according to the meeting notes.

The combined private-school playoff bracket will also remain in place for schools for Classes 2A through 4A.