Football ****OFFICIAL PLAYOFF BRACKETS****

[Alum-Ni]

The NSAA has released the 2026 Football Playoff Brackets. First round games are this Friday, October 30th.

CLASS A

#1 Omaha Westside (9-0)
#16 Columbus (5-4)

#8 Papillion-La Vista (7-2)
#9 Lincoln Northeast (8-1)

#4 Bennington (8-1)
#13 Lincoln Southwest (6-3)

#5 Elkhorn South (6-3)
#12 Elkhorn North (6-3)

-----------------------------------

#3 Millard North (8-1)
#14 Omaha Creighton Prep (5-4)

#6 Omaha North (8-1)
#11 Kearney (6-3)

#7 Papillion-La Vista South (6-3)
#10 Millard West (5-4)

#2 Millard South (8-1)
#15 Lincoln Standing Bear (5-4)

 

[Alum-Ni]

CLASS B

#1 Gretna (9-0)
#16 Lincoln Pius X (2-7)

#8 Grand Island Northwest (7-2)
#9 Norris (4-5)

#4 Aurora (8-1)
#13 York (4-5)

#5 Omaha Skutt (7-2)
#12 Ralston (4-5)

-----------------------------------

#3 Scottsbluff (8-1)
#14 Omaha Gross (2-7)

#6 Blair (8-1)
#11 McCook (4-5)

#7 Waverly (7-2)
#10 Elkhorn (4-5)

#2 Gretna East (8-1)
#15 Hastings (2-7)

 

[Alum-Ni]

CLASS C1

#1 Sidney (9-0)
#16 Central City (4-5)

#8 Wahoo (7-2)
#9 Adams Central (8-1)

#4 Pierce (9-0)
#13 Cozad (4-5)

#5 Syracuse (7-2)
#12 O'Neill (6-3)

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#3 Chadron (8-1)
#14 Auburn (5-4)

#6 Ashland-Greenwood (7-2)
#11 Omaha Roncalli (7-2)

#7 Lincoln Christian (7-2)
#10 Minden (8-1)

#2 Boys Town (9-0)
#15 Alliance (5-4)

 

[Alum-Ni]

CLASS C2

#1 Grand Island Central Catholic (9-0)
#16 Hershey (5-4)

#8 Malcolm (7-2)
#9 Wahoo Neumann (7-2)

#4 Ord (7-2)
#13 Fillmore Central (6-3)

#5 Yutan (8-1)
#12 Wilber-Clatonia (6-3)

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#3 Hartington Cedar Catholic (9-0)
#14 Lincoln Lutheran (5-4)

#6 Boone Central (9-0)
#11 Mitchell (6-3)

#7 Gothenburg (7-2)
#10 Columbus Scotus (6-3)

#2 Fremont Bergan (9-0)
#15 West Point-Beemer (5-4)

 

[Alum-Ni]

CLASS D1

#1 Johnson-Brock (9-0)
#16 Amherst (5-4)

#8 Exeter-Milligan-Friend (8-1)
#9 Elmwood-Murdock (6-3)

#4 Ravenna (8-1)
#13 Cross County (6-3)

#5 Crofton (8-1)
#12 Elkhorn Valley (6-3)

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#3 Stanton (9-0)
#14 Alma (6-3)

#6 Hartington-Newcastle (8-1)
#11 Centura (7-2)

#7 Sutton (7-2)
#10 Wisner-Pilger (7-2)

#2 Sandy Creek (8-1)
#15 Ponca (5-4)

 

[Anon1695937414]

CLASS B

#1 Gretna (9-0)
#16 Lincoln Pius X (2-7)

#8 Grand Island Northwest (7-2)
#9 Norris (4-5)

#4 Aurora (8-1)
#13 York (4-5)

#5 Omaha Skutt (7-2)
#12 Ralston (4-5)

-----------------------------------

#3 Scottsbluff (8-1)
#14 Omaha Gross (2-7)

#6 Blair (8-1)
#11 McCook (4-5)

#7 Waverly (7-2)
#10 Elkhorn (4-5)

#2 Gretna East (8-1)
#15 Hastings (2-7)

3 teams wirh 2-7 records is crazy. I know that class B doesnt havr many teams but thats crazy.

 

[Alum-Ni]

CLASS D2

#1 Shelby-Rising City (9-0)
#16 Fullerton (5-4)

#8 Hemingford (7-2)
#9 David City Aquinas (6-3)

#4 Loomis (9-0)
#13 Neligh-Oakdale (7-2)

#5 Nebraska City Lourdes (7-2)
#12 Hitchcock County (6-3)

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#3 Laurel-Concord-Coleridge (9-0)
#14 Bruning-Davenport/Shickley (6-3)

#6 Creighton (7-2)
#11 Wilcox-Hildreth (6-3)

#7 Howells-Dodge (7-2)
#10 East Butler (6-3)

#2 North Platte St. Patrick's (9-0)
#15 Bertrand (6-3)

 

[Alum-Ni]

CLASS D3

#1 Lawrence-Nelson (9-0)
#16 O'Neill St. Mary's (5-4)

#8 Burwell (7-2)
#9 Wynot (7-2)

#4 Pleasanton (8-1)
#13 Guardian Angels Central Catholic (7-2)

#5 Wausa (8-1)
#12 Anselmo-Merna (7-2)

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#3 Archangels Catholic (8-1)
#14 Cambridge (7-2)

#6 Dundy County-Stratton (6-2)
#11 Brady (8-1)

#7 Twin Loup (8-1)
#10 Deshler (7-2)

#2 Central Valley (8-1)
#15 Falls City Sacred Heart (6-3)

 

[Alum-Ni]

CLASS D6

#1 Stuart (8-0)
#16 Crawford (5-3)

#8 Riverside (7-1)
#9 Leyton (7-1)

#4 Diller-Odell (7-1)
#13 Sterling (5-3)

#5 Red Cloud (7-1)
#12 Hay Springs (5-3)

-----------------------------------

#3 Garden County (7-1)
#14 Meridian (5-3)

#6 Medicine Valley (7-1)
#11 Lewiston (6-2)

#7 Arthur County (6-2)
#10 Southwest (5-3)

#2 Wallace (7-1)
#15 High Plains (5-3)

 

[Alum-Ni]

ALL NATIONS CONFERENCE PLAYOFFS

CLASS 9A

Semifinals
Lakota Tech (SD) at Todd County (SD)
Mahpiya Luta (SD) at Winnebago

--------------------------------------

CLASS 9B

Semifinals
Walthill at Dupree (SD)
Tiospa Zina (SD) at White River (SD)

 

[Alum-Ni]

3 teams wirh 2-7 records is crazy. I know that class B doesnt havr many teams but thats crazy.

Problem is a little two-fold. 1) The low number of teams in the class, and 2) only the district champion qualifies out of the "emerging district", which frees up wildcard berths in the other districts.

 

[highschoolfootballnut]

Problem is a little two-fold. 1) The low number of teams in the class, and 2) only the district champion qualifies out of the "emerging district", which frees up wildcard berths in the other districts.

but common sense would tell you if you only have 22 in a class then only 8 should be in the playoffs

 

[Coach Klein]

In class D1, D2,D3 is it better seed is home team all the way through?

 

[Alum-Ni]

In class D1, D2,D3 is it better seed is home team all the way through?

Correct.

6-Man still uses the old system where a lower-seeded team can potentially host a higher-seeded team.

 

[LooseCannon]

In class D1, D2,D3 is it better seed is home team all the way through?

Absolutely. High deserves to host. We saw it too many times when the 1 would have to go to the 9.

 

[Sean Callahan]

but common sense would tell you if you only have 22 in a class then only 8 should be in the playoffs

Maybe you play a 10-game regular season schedule and then just have eight make it?

 

[jb53]

3 teams with 2-7 records is crazy. I know that class B doesn't have many teams but thats crazy.

No 2-7 team has any business being in the playoffs. Either expand class B, reduce the field, or (stay with me now) reduce the 11 man classes to 3 (A, B, and C). The reality is more, even traditionally strong 11 man teams are dropping to 8 man (see O-C, Aquinas, NPSP, among others). The landscape of Nebraska HS football is rapidly moving to 8 man.

 

[Big bo fan]

No 2-7 team has any business being in the playoffs. Either expand class B, reduce the field, or (stay with me now) reduce the 11 man classes to 3 (A, B, and C). The reality is more, even traditionally strong 11 man teams are dropping to 8 man (see O-C, Aquinas, NPSP, among others). The landscape of Nebraska HS football is rapidly moving to 8 man.

Speaking of that . OC played Bergan in a 8 man JH game. Bergan must be dropping next cycle?

 

[Anon1751687433]

Speaking of that . OC played Bergan in a 8 man JH game. Bergan must be dropping next cycle?

Bergan also scheduled/played Mead in 8-man JV games 2021-2025.

Bergan has been creative in how they've gotten their younger guys opportunities to block and tackle in games when schools in C2 struggled to schedule and keep JV games.

Edit: not to say they're for sure not dropping...just saying playing an 8-man JV game is not an indication of it, given the recent history.

 

[Big bo fan]

Bergan also scheduled/played Mead in 8-man JV games 2021-2025.

Bergan has been creative in how they've gotten their younger guys opportunities to block and tackle in games when schools in C2 struggled to schedule and keep JV games.

Edit: not to say they're for sure not dropping...just saying playing an 8-man JV game is not an indication of it, given the recent history.

Ok , but this was a 7-8 game not a JV .

 

[Anon1751687433]

Ok , but this was a 7-8 game not a JV .

And I would say the point still stands, as long as the rest of the JH schedule wasn't full of 8-man games.

 

[hailvictors2]

We've gone circles with this for years. Class B is the black sheep of Nebraska HS football. It has the smallest quantity of teams (23) but the largest disparity from smallest school (Aurora/Platteview 161) to largest school (Scottsbluff 418). Alliance and Nebraska City both opted down, but even with them there are 25 total teams and a gap in enrollment where the smallest school is 38.5% the size of the largest school.

Possibilities to fix the playoffs.
1- Decrease the field to 8 teams. I think this is the answer. You could offer a 10th game the school schedule themselves to occupy the time frame the other classes are playing the round of 16.
2- Add to the bottom of class B by pulling up the top of C1. All this does is increase the enrollment gap that is already the biggest among all classes.
3- Add to the top of class B by pulling down the bottom of A. All this does is increase the enrollment gap that is already the biggest among all classes.
4- Take A-B-C1-C2 and make it into A-B-C. Again, all this does is create a classification that will have an enrollment gap that is bigger than what we already have.

 

[Big bo fan]

but common sense would tell you if you only have 22 in a class then only 8 should be in the playoffs

Maybe you play a 10-game regular season schedule and then just have eight make it?

I think both of you have the correct outcome. 10 game schedule and 8 playoff teams.

 

[hailvictors2]

I think both of you have the correct outcome. 10 game schedule and 8 playoff teams.

What I would love to see is 9 game regular season, then take the top 8 teams to the playoffs. Leave it open to all 23 schools to schedule a 10th game if they want, but it has no impact on power points. Playoffs start a week later for class B because you are only taking 8. The 8 playoff teams can take a bye week if they want. If they don't want a bye week they can schedule a game.

I know some teams would prefer to be done, others would want to play another. Give them the option.

 

[Big bo fan]

What I would love to see is 9 game regular season, then take the top 8 teams to the playoffs. Leave it open to all 23 schools to schedule a 10th game if they want, but it has no impact on power points. Playoffs start a week later for class B because you are only taking 8. The 8 playoff teams can take a bye week if they want. If they don't want a bye week they can schedule a game.

I know some teams would prefer to be done, others would want to play another. Give them the option.

Meh .nobody is going to want to play in a week 10 meaningless game. If you’re not in the playoffs you want the season ri be over and if you qualified you don’t want ti risk injury. Now if you Keep it at 9 and take 8 and give all 8 a bye week it’s good. But if there is any games played in week 10 they have to mean something as far as power points .

 

[just_average32]

What I would love to see is 9 game regular season, then take the top 8 teams to the playoffs. Leave it open to all 23 schools to schedule a 10th game if they want, but it has no impact on power points. Playoffs start a week later for class B because you are only taking 8. The 8 playoff teams can take a bye week if they want. If they don't want a bye week they can schedule a game.

I know some teams would prefer to be done, others would want to play another. Give them the option.

What about 9 game regular season, 12 team playoff, 4 top seeds get a bye

 

[TCCoach55]

Kansas does something unique that could work with some modifying.

They have 6 team districts, 8 Districts. 1st-4th in the district make the playoffs. Play 8 regular season games. Week 1 of the playoffs, 1 plays 4 from another district, 2 plays 3 and so on. The 5th and 6th place teams from opposing districts then play each other week 9. 5 v 5, 6 v 6.

If class B had 24 teams, you could do something similar. Top 8-12 in power points make the playoffs. 1st round bye for the top 4 teams. 1st Roun 5-12 play + 9th games for non-qualifiers. Remaining teams are matched up that miss the playoffs by power points. 13 vs 14, 15 vs 16, etc.

 

[Sean Callahan]

I think both of you have the correct outcome. 10 game schedule and 8 playoff teams

What would be the pushback for a 10-game schedule if Class B went this route to more accurately seed an 8-team field?

Also, what would the records be of some of these teams be if they drew the normal Class B schedule with all the heavyweights? Curious if in the middle of a two-year cycle they can make any type of changes?

 

[hailvictors2]

What would be the pushback for a 10-game schedule if Class B went this route to more accurately seed an 8-team field?

Also, what would the records be of some of these teams be if they drew the normal Class B schedule with all the heavyweights? Curious if in the middle of a two-year cycle they can make any type of changes?

10 game schedule is a disaster for the low end of class B. The bottom end doesn't even want to play 9, let a lone 10. I think more teams get included in that with the playoff field shrinking to 8. If you are a team like Elkhorn, York, or Norris this year, you are still focused on football week 6-7-8 because you know you are qualifying. Shrink the playoff field to 8 and I think some kids are moving on to basketball and wrestling the moment they realize they aren't getting in. They finish the season, but they aren't as engaged. Extending the season an extra game doesn't make much sense at that point. And the 10th game....that's just another chance for a kid to get hurt before his primary sport in the winter.

 

[Big bo fan]

10 game schedule is a disaster for the low end of class B. The bottom end doesn't even want to play 9, let a lone 10. I think more teams get included in that with the playoff field shrinking to 8. If you are a team like Elkhorn, York, or Norris this year, you are still focused on football week 6-7-8 because you know you are qualifying. Shrink the playoff field to 8 and I think some kids are moving on to basketball and wrestling the moment they realize they aren't getting in. They finish the season, but they aren't as engaged. Extending the season an extra game doesn't make much sense at that point. And the 10th game....that's just another chance for a kid to get hurt before his primary sport in the winter.

Probably. But this is the problem today with a pussyfoot society and system. Playoffs entry should be difficult to achieve. When I played in 79-82 we had 4 classes and 8 teams qualified.even with all the classes now maybe they need to return to the he old System of 8 qualifying. Make the playoffs mean something that was truly earned. Now you have kids walking around with playoff tee shirts/ sweatshirts that played on 2 win teams.

 

[Capt.Sker]

What would be the pushback for a 10-game schedule if Class B went this route to more accurately seed an 8-team field?

Also, what would the records be of some of these teams be if they drew the normal Class B schedule with all the heavyweights? Curious if in the middle of a two-year cycle they can make any type of changes?

Agree with the last comment.. what would Crete and Blair's records look like if they played Seward's or Gross's Schedule? Then you also have to look at the school who benefited greatly from the Emerging District like Skutt from a schedule standpoint. They need to go away from the Emerging District because that's the clearest way to determine who the best teams are.

 

[LooseCannon]

Class B and I'd argue Class A as well, should be 8 team playoffs.

The enrollment gap is B is such a hurdle, I don't know how it can be fixed. Tough for many schools.

 

[Capt.Sker]

Class B and I'd argue Class A as well, should be 8 team playoffs.

The enrollment gap is B is such a hurdle, I don't know how it can be fixed. Tough for many schools.

Is that what's best for those communities? I believe we have lost the purpose of the impact high school sports have on communities and small businesses. Will there be many upsets in the first round? Maybe not.. but at least those kids can put on the jersey and ride the bus one more time with their childhood friends. This isn't about grown adults and what is best for their viewing purposes.. it's about providing opportunities for young men and making memories.

 

[highschoolfootballnut]

10 game schedule is a disaster for the low end of class B. The bottom end doesn't even want to play 9, let a lone 10. I think more teams get included in that with the playoff field shrinking to 8. If you are a team like Elkhorn, York, or Norris this year, you are still focused on football week 6-7-8 because you know you are qualifying. Shrink the playoff field to 8 and I think some kids are moving on to basketball and wrestling the moment they realize they aren't getting in. They finish the season, but they aren't as engaged. Extending the season an extra game doesn't make much sense at that point. And the 10th game....that's just another chance for a kid to get hurt before his primary sport in the winter.

Amazing how the this state has dropped in football, a ten game schedule is what the entire south have done for 20 years and now in Nebraska its just to much The level from top to bottom of football has become very sad in Nebraska

 

[GBR1245647]

No 2-7 team has any business being in the playoffs. Either expand class B, reduce the field, or (stay with me now) reduce the 11 man classes to 3 (A, B, and C). The reality is more, even traditionally strong 11 man teams are dropping to 8 man (see O-C, Aquinas, NPSP, among others). The landscape of Nebraska HS football is rapidly moving to 8 man.

Yes and no, most schools in the class C and D landscape are declining in numbers. Yet, the NSAA increased the number to 55 this year; if it was still 47 almost the entirety of D1 would be "ineligible". Raising the number made a lot more teams drop. Cedar Catholic, Bergan, and many other C2 powerhouses are 8-man eligible. The exempt periods made it messy previously. The motion was passed to bump the number to 55 just because of teams struggling to compete in C2 and the bigger D1 schools worried about moving up to C2 and being 8-man ineligible. I don't blame them either, C2 is a big boys game and if you don't have the numbers it can be brutal.