How the New NCHSAA Playoff System Works Under the 8-Classification Format
How the New NCHSAA Playoff System Works Under the 8-Classification Format
This year marks a major change for high school athletics in North Carolina as the NCHSAA officially expanded from four classifications to eight, reshaping how postseason brackets are built across every sport.
From Four to Eight Classifications
Previously, the NCHSAA featured just four classifications — 1A through 4A — with 32 teams from each region (East and West) advancing to the state playoffs. With the expansion to eight classifications, each bracket is now smaller, with most sports fielding 48 teams per classification and the 8A level limited to 24 teams. In each 48-team field, 24 teams compete in the East and 24 in the West, with the top eight seeds on each side receiving a first-round bye.
RPI Now the Only Factor
In previous years, playoff seeding began with automatic bids for conference champions, followed by RPI rankings to determine remaining teams. That system created issues in split conferences, where one higher-classification team could automatically qualify — even with a losing record — simply because they were the only school in that classification within their league.
Under the new system, conference standings no longer guarantee playoff spots. Instead, all playoff selections are determined strictly by RPI (Ratings Percentage Index).
Once the top 48 teams in each classification are identified by RPI, they are split into East and West regions based on longitude coordinates. The top-ranked teams within each region are then seeded by their RPI rank.
If a team’s location falls near the state’s geographic midpoint, a draw is conducted to determine whether that school competes in the East or West bracket.
The RPI Formula
The RPI is designed to measure overall team performance and strength of schedule. It is calculated as:
RPI = (0.4 × WP) + (0.4 × OWP) + (0.2 × OOWP)
WP (Winning Percentage): Team’s wins divided by total games played.
OWP (Opponents’ Winning Percentage): The average winning percentage of a team’s opponents.
OOWP (Opponents’ Opponents’ Winning Percentage): The same average, applied to the opponents of a team’s opponents.
The RPI uses only wins and losses — scores, point differentials, and margins of victory are not included.
Games against in-state, non-NCHSAA opponents count at their reported winning percentage, while their opponents’ records default to .500 for calculation purposes.
How the Playoff Brackets Are Finalized
When the regular season concludes, the NCHSAA and coach representatives follow these steps:
Gather the final RPI rankings from MaxPreps.
Remove teams that have opted out or are postseason ineligible.
Rank eligible teams within each classification by RPI.
Assign schools to the East or West region using longitude.
Seed teams in each region based on their final RPI order.
If there’s an RPI tie, additional decimal places are used to separate teams.
Why the Change Matters
The move to an RPI-only system eliminates many of the seeding inconsistencies that existed under the old conference-based structure. It ensures that every playoff berth and seed is earned by performance, not geography or league alignment.
For teams on the playoff bubble, it also adds importance to non-conference scheduling — strong opponents can improve OWP and OOWP, directly impacting postseason qualification.
As the NCHSAA’s first season under the new eight-class model unfolds, coaches and fans alike will see how this data-driven system reshapes competition across the state.
