Bits and Pieces by Don Eskins: Selection Saturday and the NMAA’s Criteria

Selection Saturday and the NMAA’s Criteria

While most of us prep football fans have a pretty good idea as to just how the selection process for the state football playoffs works, we really aren’t aware of all the particulars that go into the actual selection of teams.

So, for those who may be interested, the following are all of the particulars.

Playoff Procedures and Selection/Seeding for 12-Team Format for Classes 8-Man, 2A, 3A, 4A, 5A, and 6A

1. Twelve teams advance to the playoffs.

2. The district champion automatically advances to the playoffs. The remaining teams will be selected at large to fill the 12-team bracket.

3. The 12 teams will be seeded 1 through 12 by the NMAA Staff based on criteria.

4. The higher seed will host the first round of 12 and quarterfinal games.

5. In the semifinal and final rounds, the home site is determined by past history. If the two schools do not have a past history, the higher seed will host.

Below is information on the seeding criteria:

7.11 SELECTION AND SEEDING PROCESS FOR STATE TOURNAMENTS

7.11.1 Selection/Seeding - NMAA Staff members are responsible for the Seeding and Selection process in all team sports.

7.11.2 Selection process in the team sports of Basketball, Baseball, Football, Soccer, Softball, Tennis, and Volleyball.

A. District Champions will automatically advance to the playoffs. Exception: In the sport of basketball, if the regular-season district champion and district tournament champion are different, they will both automatically advance to the playoffs.

B. The remainder of the teams will be selected by the NMAA Staff using the following criteria.

There is neither order nor priority in the criteria listed below:

• Finish in regular-season district play

• Head-to-head

• Wins against district champions regardless of class (not considered in the sport of football)

• Overall Record

• MaxPreps Freeman Rankings (not considered in the sport of tennis)

• Member School Input

**NOTE: One district team cannot be seeded or selected higher than another if they came out of district as a lower seed, with regular season taking precedence over tournament play. In the event of a tie in the regular season district standings, the NMAA Staff may use the six criteria points or any other head-to-head competition to determine the selection/seeding order between the two teams that are tied.

**NOTE: In the event of a tie among criteria points, head-to-head will be used to break the tie.

If there is no head-to-head competition or the head-to-head competition is tied, then MaxPreps Strength of Schedule will be used to break the tie.

So, Cavemen fans, there it is, all the criteria that go into the NMAA’s selection process for this year’s state tournament.

Once again, for Cavemen fans who want to follow this year’s Selection Saturday’s picks for this year’s state playoffs, they can do so by hooking up with the NMAA website at 10 p.m. on Saturday night, November 1.

The NMAA will release its 2025 football playoff brackets using a selection show on its NMAA website at www.nmact.org

Thanks to CHS Athletic Director Greg Haston for providing the Local with this year’s criteria and selection show website.