High school football finals on a Wednesday? Could happen after NCHSAA board vote

Some high school sports championship games, including football, could be played earlier in the week this year.

The N.C. High School Athletic Association Board of Directors approved a request from the association to give it flexibility in scheduling state championship games during the 2025-26 school year.

The motion passed 16-0.

In a specially called Monday night meeting, NCHSAA commissioner Que Tucker told the board that the association needed flexibility in scheduling additional state championship games, which are generally held on a Friday and Saturday, as the association is moving from four classifications to eight, potentially hosting eight state championships per sport.

“As we’re looking at all this,” Tucker said, “we’ll need to play some of these state championships earlier in the week to accomodate eight classifications.”

The NCHSAA Board had previously approved a calendar that included football state championships being played Dec. 12-13 with other fall sports like girls golf (Oct. 27-28), volleyball (Nov. 1) and soccer (Nov. 21-22) also having set dates.

Some sports like golf and swimming have traditionally begun earlier in the week. Golf, for example, has long been played on Monday and Tuesday during the school day.

Tucker said the NCHSAA was asking for flexibility in moving dates now, so additional board action would not be necessary later as the association seeks to find venues for its state finals.

“In some instances, we’re doing well,” Tucker said, “but football and basketball we’re looking at having to play those earlier.”

For the past two seasons, the NCHSAA has combined regional and state basketball championships into one week, with regional play beginning Monday in the afternoon and state finals beginning Friday in the afternoon.

Tucker said moving games earlier in the day and week could be necessary as the association sets up its state finals calendar.

The board was receptive to the request.

“Going to eight classifications, we knew it would take things (in a) different (direction),” said board member Mark Garrett, who is superintendent of Henderson County Schools. “We have to make it work. I think we’ve got to give them flexibility to make the championships work.”

In other news:

• Tucker also mentioned that she would anticipate that girls’ flag football, currently played in the spring, is on its way to becoming a sanctioned sport with a state championship and noted that the association needed to look at whether it “should be playing some of the sports we have in different seasons.” That could mean moving flag football to the fall.
• Tucker also said that boys’ volleyball, particularly in the N.C. mountains, was gaining in popularity, telling the board that it was another emerging sport.

This story was originally published July 28, 2025 at 7:11 PM.