For most of our state’s high school football players, this week marks the end of their regular season play for the 2026-2027 school year. For most of the parents of Mississippi’s senior football players, it is a bittersweet ending.
I know from firsthand experience with two of my own Mississippi high school athletes, those last games and the “Senior Night” recognition ceremonies that go along with those final seasons are hard on a momma’s heart.
So, help those Mississippi mommas out by attending this final regular game of the year. It will be a great way to support our student athletes and their parents, while enjoying some of the best high school football in the country. Usually, the concession stand food is pretty good as well.
Of course, the fun is just getting started for some of our state’s high school football teams, with the road to that coveted 2026 State Championship title on the line. It will come down to two teams in each of our state’s seven classifications. But it has been a long road for each of the 236 high school football teams that participate in the Mississippi High School Activities Association (MHSAA).
Each of those 236 teams faced ten opponents in their 10-to-11-week schedule for the 2026-2027 season, with some of those games starting as early as the last week of August. But whenever the season started, each high school team played divisional games against other teams within their assigned MHSAA district classification. Other games during the season were just friendly matchups that did not count toward each year’s championship playoff series. (There’s always a couple of cherished rivalry games in each year’s schedule.)
For those who might not know, each school that is a member of MHSAA is currently classified and competes according to its student population. As such, the three larger classifications (5A, 6A, and 7A) contain 24 teams; the three middle-sized classifications (2A, 3A, 4A) contain 40 schools, and the smallest classification (1A) contains 44 schools.
Photo credit: Meredith Biesinger
But things are changing next year, with some schools moving up or down in classification, depending on the current year’s student population. Visit the official MHSAA website for the details of those changes in classification.
It’s also the place to find information on the 2026-2027 playoff brackets: https://www.misshsaa.com/2026/10/20/football-playoff-home-team-instructions-2/. But keep in mind that some details of those playoff brackets will come down to the final games of the season.
That means it is more important than ever that you attend these last games. So, get out and cheer for your favorite Mississippi athletes. You will be so glad you did!
