COLUMBUS – Eight schools have opted up to Division I for the 2026 Ohio High School Athletic Association football playoffs, which has resulted in a number of shifts to Division I regional assignments that were initially announced on April 23.

All eight schools that opted up to Division I had been initially assigned to Division II. There are no changes to Divisions III through VII, so no previously announced division and region assignments for local school will be affected.

The OHSAA does not move schools up a division to replace schools that opt up to Division I. The changes increase Division I to 80 schools (from 72), while decreasing Division II to 98 schools (from 106).

Five of the schools that opted up to Division I have been assigned to Region 1, including Austintown-Fitch, Cleveland Heights, Elyria, Euclid and Hudson. The remaining three schools that opted up to Division I have been assigned to Region 2, including Clayton Northmont, Dublin Scioto and Toledo St. John’s Jesuit.

Perrysburg and Toledo Whitmer have been reassigned from Region 1 to Region 2. Lebanon, Middletown and Springboro have been have reassigned from Region 3 to Region 4. Upper Arlington has been reassigned from Region 2 to Region 3.

As noted in the initial divisional breakdowns announcement on April 23, school consolidations are anticipated this summer within Cleveland Metropolitan School District and Youngstown City School District, which will result in some schools within those districts being reclassified into higher divisions. The OHSAA annually sets September 10 as the date to collect enrollment data from new schools and schools that have consolidations.

The remaining fall sports divisional breakdowns will be announced later this week, while the winter sports divisional breakdowns will be announced next week.