The Michigan High School Athletic Association met in Gaylord this past weekend to discuss new proposals across a variety of sports, including approving a rule change that will bring a revamped playoff bracket to football this fall.

While playoff points will still guide the seeding process, the structure of the district and regional brackets will be different this season.

Each regional will now be seeded from first through eighth and then split into two districts. Under the new format, District A will consist of the first-, fourth-, fifth- and eighth-seeded teams, while District B will have the second-, third-, sixth- and seventh-seeded teams. Those two districts will then meet for a regional title in the third round of the playoffs.

The change is a result of perceived “lopsided” brackets under the current seeding model. Over the past several seasons under the old model, some of the top teams matched up inside the same district. That led to some of the state’s best matchups in the first two rounds.

As an example from this past season, Big Rapids headed up to Ludington in a battle of the 9-0 Orioles and the 8-1 Cardinals. Both squads would have been district favorites in multiple other districts, but instead they squared off in the first round of districts. Matchups like this have been seen across all divisions of football.

Although the new seeding may be more beneficial to urban schools than to smaller rural schools, the change gives urban schools a larger pool to work with, particularly in the metro Detroit and Grand Rapids areas. One aspect people may not be focusing on too much is that in rural areas, teams often play each other for the second time that season.

“One of the neat things with the old system was you would have a stronger chance of a rematch with a regular-season opponent,” said Scott Cripe, head coach of Central Montcalm football. “Those were always fun from a preparation standpoint and for the players.”

The Hornets have found themselves in a few rematches in the playoffs. Most recently in 2024, their only regular-season loss came at the hands of the Newaygo Lions, 21-12. In the district championship game, the two foes met again and Central Montcalm lost again, 35-34.

When asked, other coaches around the area had mixed feelings about the change.

“On one hand, it’s good to have the region seeded so the top teams are more likely to see each other in the later rounds, which is good,” said Mike Selzer, head coach of Big Rapids football. “That would have prevented us from meeting up with Ludington in the first round last year. On the other hand, it brings in a larger pool of teams to seed, and with our location and conference, it will be hard for us to secure a No. 1 seed. In the long run, it is better for football.”

Big Rapids has won two district titles over the past three seasons, both times losing to a private school from the Grand Rapids area in the regional championship round. For its U.S. 131 rival Reed City, the program’s mindset hasn’t changed.

“You still have to beat the best to be the best,” said Scott Shankel, head coach of Reed City football. “It’s still a district and it’s still a region.”

The Coyotes, who have won four straight district titles under the previous system, will move up to Division 5 this season.

The change may require an adjustment period, with some teams potentially facing disadvantages while others benefit. But in the end, the playoffs will continue to provide a highly competitive and exciting environment.