In arguably the biggest change of the offseason, the association’s new postseason cutoff shrinks the number of qualifying football teams in each classification’s bracket to 16 beginning with the 2026-27 school year. (The Class 5A bracket last year, for example, included 24 teams.)

The change appears only football-related, with no official word on other state tournaments at this time.

The RPI rankings system still determines which programs earn a playoff seat. In 2025, Clearfield was last year’s No. 24 seed in 5A with a final record of 3-8; Pleasant Grove, the No. 16 seed at 4-7 overall, would be the last team in this year.

The 6A, 5A and 4A state semifinals and finals are slated for Nov. 12-20 at the University of Utah’s Rice-Eccles Stadium. The 3A, 2A, 1A and 8-Man state semifinals and finals are scheduled for Nov. 6-14 at Southern Utah’s Eccles Coliseum in Cedar City.

Mercy rule update ends games earlier

Elsewhere this season, a new addition to the 35-point mercy rule, which initiates a running clock in the second half, will end the game automatically if a team leads by 44 points or more after the third quarter or at any point during the fourth quarter.

In Week 1, the new 44-point rule ended Layton Christian’s 48-0 shutout of Hunter at the end of the third quarter, while fourth-quarter touchdowns by Roy and Box Elder gave them victories with early finishes.

If, after halftime, any team’s lead exceeds 34 points, the clock shall run continuously. In 8-Man football, specifically, the clock runs continuously at any point when one team’s lead exceeds 34 points. In both 11-Man and 8-Man play, the clock runs except for an official’s timeout, a charged team timeout, and after a change of possession.

Should the differential fall below 35 points, “the clock still runs continuously until the game is over, except for the stated three reasons,” according to an official rule change statement posted at UHSAA.org.

On the East Coast, North Carolina implemented a similar change, lowering its running clock threshold from 42 points to 35 beginning this fall.

Aside from simply speeding up some contests, the measure will also reduce the number of hits sustained by both teams over the course of the season. Studies using helmet sensors reported that the average high school football player absorbs roughly 650 to well over 1,300 hits each season.

Connect with Standard-Examiner sports reporter Conner Becker via email at cbecker@standard.net, X @ctbecker and Instagram @standardexaminersports.