High school football state championship games: Start dates, playoff bracket updates (12/7/2023)

It's a big week in high school football, with state champions being crowned from California to Florida

Alabama got the action going early this week in high school football state championships, with Central Phenix City ending Thompson's title reign.

Florida, California, Pennsylvania and Louisiana are also among the states that will crown high school football champions this week.

Georgia and Texas play their state championship games next week.  

Read below for each state's championship schedule, plus updated playoff brackets. 

Alabama

Playoffs started: Nov. 3 in AISA; Nov. 10 in AHSAA

State championships: Nov. 16 in AISA; Dec. 6-8 in AHSAA

Alabama playoff brackets

Alaska

Playoffs started: Oct. 6

State championships: Oct. 14 (Division 3), Oct. 21 (Divisions 1 and 2)

Arizona

Playoffs started: Oct. 20 (1A); Nov. 3 (3A, 2A); Nov. 10 (6A, 5A, 4A); Nov. 17 (Open Division)

State championships: Nov. 11 (1A); Nov. 24 (3A, 2A); Dec. 1 (5A, 4A); Dec. 2 (Open, 6A)

Arizona playoff brackets

Arkansas

Playoffs started: Nov. 10

State championships: Nov. 30-Dec. 2, Dec. 9

Arkansas playoff brackets

California

Central Section

Playoffs started: Nov. 3

Central Section playoff brackets

Central Coast Section

Playoffs started: Nov. 10-11

Central Coast playoff brackets

L.A. City Section

Playoffs started: Nov. 3

L.A. City Section playoff brackets

North Coast Section

Playoffs started: Nov. 10-11

North Coast playoff brackets

Northern Section

Playoffs started: Nov. 3 (8-man); Nov. 10 (11-man)

Northern Section playoff brackets

Oakland Section

Playoffs started: Nov. 17

Sac-Joaquin Section

Playoffs started: Nov. 3

Sac-Joaquin Section playoff brackets

San Francisco Section

Championship game: Nov. 23

San Diego Section

Playoffs started: Nov. 3

San Diego Section playoff brackets

Southern Section

Playoffs started: Nov. 3

CIF Southern Section playoff brackets

State Playoffs

Regional Bowl Championships (North/South): Dec. 1-2

Regional Bowl Championship brackets

State Championship Bowl Games: Dec. 8-9

State championship brackets

Colorado

Playoffs started: Nov. 2 (5A, 4A, 2A, 1A, A8, A6); Nov. 9 (3A)

State championships: Nov. 24 (6-Man, 8-Man); Nov. 26 (2A, 1A); Dec. 2 (5A, 4A, 3A)

Colorado playoff brackets

Connecticut

Playoffs start: Nov. 28

State championships: Dec. 9

Connecticut playoff brackets

Delaware

Playoffs started: Nov. 17

State championships: Dec. 10

Delaware playoff brackets

Florida

Playoffs started: Nov. 10

State championships: Dec. 7-9 at Bragg Memorial Stadium in Tallahassee

Florida playoff brackets

Georgia

Playoffs started: Nov. 10

State championships: Dec. 11-13 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium

Georgia playoff brackets

Hawaii

Playoffs started: Nov. 10

State championships: Nov. 24-25

Idaho

Playoffs started: Oct. 27

State championships: Nov. 17-18

Idaho playoff brackets

Illinois

Playoffs started: Oct. 28

State championships: Nov. 24-25 at Illinois State

Illinois playoff brackets

Indiana

Playoffs started: Oct. 20 (5A, 4A, 3A, 2A, 1A); Oct. 29 (6A)

State championships: Nov. 24-25 at Lucas Oil Stadium

Indiana playoff brackets

Iowa

Playoffs started: Oct. 20 (2A, 1A, A, 8-Player); Oct. 27 (5A, 4A, 3A)

State championships: Nov. 16-17

Iowa playoff brackets

Kansas

Playoffs started: Oct. 26

State championships: Nov. 25

Kansas playoff brackets

Kentucky

Playoffs started: Nov. 2

State championships: Dec. 1-2

Kentucky playoff brackets

Louisiana

Playoffs started: Nov. 10

State championships: Dec. 7-9 at Caesars Superdome

Louisiana playoff brackets

Maine

Playoffs started: Oct. 20 (8-Man); Oct. 27 (B, C); Nov. 3 (A, D)

State championships: Nov. 11 (8-Man); Nov. 18 (A, B, C, D)

Maryland

Playoffs started: Nov. 3

State championships: Nov. 30-Dec. 2

Maryland playoff brackets

Massachusetts

Playoffs started: Nov. 4

State championships: Dec. 2

Massachusetts playoff brackets

Michigan

Playoffs started: Oct. 27

State championships: Nov. 11 (8-man); Nov. 25-26 (11-man) at Ford Field

Michigan playoff brackets

Minnesota

Playoffs started: Oct. 24

State championships: Nov. 24-25 at U.S. Bank Stadium

Minnesota playoff brackets

Mississippi

Mississippi High School Activities Association

Playoffs started: Nov. 3 (4A, 3A, 2A, 1A); Nov. 10 (7A, 6A, 5A)

State championships: Nov. 30-Dec. 2

Midsouth Association of Independent Schools

Playoffs started: Oct. 27 (5A, 4A, 3A, 2A); Nov. 3 (6A)

State championships: Nov. 16-18

Mississippi playoff brackets

Missouri

Playoffs started: Oct. 27

State championships: Nov. 25 (Class 6); Dec. 1-2 (Class 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, 8-man)

Missouri playoff brackets

Montana

Playoffs started: Oct. 27

State championships: Nov. 17-18

Montana playoff brackets

Nebraska

Playoffs started: Oct. 20 (D1, D2); Oct. 28 (A, B, C1, C2, D6)

State championships: Nov. 17 (6-Man); Nov. 20-21 (A, B, C1, C2, D1, D2)

Nebraska playoff brackets

Nevada

Playoffs started: Oct. 26 (5A, 4A, 3A); Nov. 3 (state quarterfinals for all classes)

State championships: Nov. 17-18

Nevada playoff brackets

New Hampshire

Playoffs started: Nov. 3

State championships: Nov. 10 or 11 (Division III, Division IV); Nov. 17 or 18 (Division I, Division II)

New Hampshire playoff brackets

New Jersey

Playoffs started: Oct. 27 (non-public); Nov. 3 (public)

State championships: Nov. 27-28 (non-public); Nov. 26-27 (public)

New Jersey playoff brackets

New Mexico

Playoffs started: Oct. 21 (8-man, 6-man); Oct. 28 (6A, 5A, 4A, 3A, 2A)

State championships: Nov. 11 (8-man, 6-man); Nov. 18 (2A); Nov. 25 (6A, 5A, 4A, 3A)

New Mexico playoff brackets

New York

Catholic High School League

Playoffs started: Nov. 3

State championships: Nov. 18-19

Long Island

Playoffs started: Nov. 11

State championships: Nov. 23-25

New York State Public High School Association

Playoffs started: Oct. 27

State championships: Dec. 1-3

North Carolina

North Carolina High School Athletic Association

Playoffs started: Nov. 3

State championships: Dec. 8-9

North Carolina Association of Independent Schools

Playoffs started: Nov. 3

State championships: Nov. 17

North Carolina playoff brackets

North Dakota

Playoffs started: Oct. 21 (11B, 9B); Oct. 27 (11AAA, 11AA, 11A)

State championships: Nov. 10

North Dakota playoff brackets

Ohio

Playoffs started: Oct. 27

State championships: Nov. 30-Dec. 2 at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium

Ohio playoff brackets

Oklahoma

Playoffs started: Nov. 10

State championships: Dec. 1-2 (6A, 5A, 4A, 3A, C); Dec. 8-9 (2A, A, B)

Oklahoma playoff brackets

Oregon

Playoffs started: Nov. 3

State championships: Nov. 24-25

Oregon playoff brackets

Pennsylvania

Playoffs started: Nov. 3

State championships: Dec. 7-9

Pennsylvania playoff brackets

Rhode Island

Playoffs started: Nov. 3

State championships: Nov. 17-18

Rhode Island playoff brackets

South Carolina

South Carolina High School League

Playoffs started: Nov. 3

State championships: Nov. 30-Dec. 1

South Carolina Independent School Association

Playoffs started: Nov. 3

State championships: Nov. 17-18

South Carolina playoff brackets

South Dakota

Playoffs started: Oct. 19 (11B, 9-man); Oct. 26 (11AAA, 11AA, 11A)

State championships: Nov. 9-11

South Dakota playoff brackets

Tennessee

Playoffs started: Nov. 3

State championships: Nov. 30-Dec. 2

Tennessee playoff brackets

Texas

University Interscholastic League

Playoffs started: Nov. 9

State championships: Dec. 13-16 at AT&T Stadium

TAPPS

Playoffs started: Nov. 11

State championships: Nov. 30-Dec. 2

Texas playoff brackets

Utah

Playoffs started: Oct. 20

State championships: Nov. 11 (3A, 2A, 1A, 8-Man); Nov. 17 (6A, 5A, 4A)

Utah playoff brackets

Vermont

Playoffs started: Oct. 28-29

State championships: Nov. 11

Vermont playoff brackets

Virginia

Playoffs started: Nov. 10

State championships: Dec. 9-10

Virginia playoff brackets

Washington

Playoffs started: Nov. 3

State championships: Dec. 1-2 at Husky Stadium

Washington playoff brackets

Washington, D.C.

Playoffs started: Nov. 10

State championships: Dec. 3

West Virginia

Playoffs started: Nov. 10

State championships: Dec. 1-2

West Virginia playoff brackets

Wisconsin

Playoffs started: Oct. 20

State championships: Nov. 16-17

Wisconsin playoff brackets

Wyoming

Playoffs started: Oct. 27

State championships: Nov. 10-11

Wyoming playoff brackets

(Marin Catholic photo by Eric Taylor)

-- Mike Swanson | swanson@scorebooklive.com | @sblivesports


Published
Mike Swanson, SBLive Sports
MIKE SWANSON

Mike Swanson is the VP of Content for High School On SI. He's been in journalism since 2003, having worked as a reporter, city editor, copy editor and high school sports editor in California, Connecticut and Oregon.