The 2026 LHSAA Football Playoff Brackets Are Out: No. 1 Seeds and First-Round Games

By Staff @ Bayou Weekly

The LHSAA released its 2026 football playoff brackets on Sunday, Nov. 8, with 208 teams across eight divisions chasing state titles that will be decided in the Caesars Superdome Dec. 10-12. First-round bi-district games are Nov. 12-14, according to the association's 2026 football season calendar, and every pairing is posted on the LHSAA's official football brackets page.

The field is split into Select and Non-Select tracks, each with four divisions. Each Non-Select division has 28 teams and each Select division has 24, so the top four Non-Select seeds and the top eight Select seeds get first-round byes. Bayou Weekly explained how the LHSAA sets its brackets last week.

In Non-Select Division I, Mandeville is the No. 1 seed and has a first-round bye. No. 2 Barbe, No. 3 Northshore and No. 4 Ruston also sit out the opening round. No. 16 Slidell hosts No. 17 Southside on Friday, Nov. 13, at 7 p.m., one of the first-round games with a posted kickoff. Others include No. 11 Haughton against No. 22 Parkway, No. 13 West Monroe against No. 20 Covington, and No. 15 Airline hosting No. 18 Central of Baton Rouge on Nov. 13 at 7 p.m. (the bracket lists Airline as the site).

Non-Select Division II's top seed is Neville, followed by No. 2 Westgate, No. 3 Eunice and No. 4 North DeSoto. Among the first-round games, No. 8 Leesville meets No. 25 Iota and No. 11 Sterlington faces No. 22 Beau Chene. No. 12 West Feliciana hosts No. 21 Minden on Nov. 13 at 7 p.m.

In Non-Select Division III, Jena holds the No. 1 seed, with St. James at No. 2, Jennings at No. 3 and Kaplan at No. 4. No. 6 Rosepine hosts No. 27 Oakdale on Nov. 13 at 7 p.m.

Non-Select Division IV's top seed is East Feliciana, with Vinton No. 2, Logansport No. 3 and Mangham No. 4. No. 11 Oak Grove hosts No. 22 Ringgold on Thursday, Nov. 12, at 7 p.m., the earliest game on any bracket with a posted kickoff. No. 9 Grand Lake hosts No. 24 LaSalle on Nov. 13 at 7 p.m.

On the Select side, St. Augustine is the No. 1 seed in Division I, ahead of No. 2 Jesuit, No. 3 Edna Karr and No. 4 Alexandria. The first round includes No. 12 Evangel Christian against No. 21 Warren Easton and No. 15 Captain Shreve against No. 18 Hammond. No. 13 John Curtis Christian hosts No. 20 Huntington at Muss Bertolino Stadium on Nov. 13 at 7 p.m.

Select Division II's top seed is Archbishop Shaw, with Lake Charles College Prep at No. 2, Madison Prep at No. 3 and John F. Kennedy at No. 4.

In Select Division III, Notre Dame is seeded first. Lafayette Christian is No. 2, St. Charles No. 3 and Isidore Newman No. 4. No. 11 Bunkie hosts No. 22 St. Louis Catholic on Nov. 13 at 7 p.m. No. 10 Catholic of New Iberia hosts No. 23 Beekman Charter at the same time, and No. 15 Episcopal hosts No. 18 St. Thomas Aquinas on Nov. 13 at 7 p.m.

Select Division IV's top seed is Riverside Academy. Ascension Catholic is No. 2, Kentwood No. 3 and Ouachita Christian No. 4. No. 9 Cedar Creek hosts No. 24 Lincoln Preparatory School on Nov. 13 at 7 p.m., and No. 12 Ascension Episcopal hosts No. 21 Central Catholic at the same time.

From here the schedule moves a round a week. Regional games are Nov. 19-21, quarterfinals Nov. 26-28 over Thanksgiving week and semifinals Dec. 3-5. The state finals are back in the Superdome, with three games on Thursday, Dec. 10, three on Friday, Dec. 11, and two on Saturday, Dec. 12, according to the LHSAA's 2026 football bulletin. The Division IV Select final kicks off at noon on Dec. 10, followed by Division IV Non-Select at 3:30 p.m. and Division III Non-Select at 7 p.m. Friday brings Division II Select at noon, Division III Select at 3:30 p.m. and Division II Non-Select at 7 p.m. Saturday's finals are Division I Select at noon and Division I Non-Select at 3:30 p.m.

Most first-round kickoff times are set by the host schools; check the bracket page for updates.

Bayou Weekly will follow the playoffs each week through the Superdome. For a look at another Louisiana football tradition, read about the Bayou Classic's history.

Photo: Akil Head, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0 (resized). Amite High School's football stadium, photographed in 2008.