How 2024 brackets would’ve looked using GHSA’s new playoff model
Five football teams from Class 6A’s Region 1 would’ve earned top-12 seeds and played at home in the first round last season under the GHSA’s new playoff model approved Monday.
Playing at home – all against metro Atlanta opponents – would’ve been Camden County, Colquitt County, Lowndes, Richmond Hill and Valdosta. In 2024, only Colquitt and Lowndes played at home, and Richmond Hill missed the playoffs despite a 7-3 record.
Grayson and Calhoun, eventual state champions, would've been seeded 10th and 13th, respectively, and faced region champions on the road in the second round.
Below are what the 2024 first-round games would have been using the GHSA's Post Season Rankings and the new playoff rules, which will take effect in 2026. Region finish no longer will matter except for region champions, who will be guaranteed playoff berths and top-16 seeds.
The GHSA's intent with its new playoff format – to reward teams from stronger regions and to have the strongest teams meeting in the later rounds – is evident in some cases, less so in others. For more analysis, see this story on AJC Varsity.
Class 6A
No. 1 Carrollton (R2 #1) vs. No. 32 Archer (R4 #4)
No. 2 Lowndes (R1 #2) vs. No. 31 Denmark (R6 #4)
No. 3 North Gwinnett (R7 #1) vs. No. 30 Cherokee (R5 #6)
No. 4 Buford (R8 #1) vs. No. 29 Pebblebrook (R3 #4)
No. 5 North Cobb (R5 #1) vs. No. 28 Peachtree Ridge (R7 #4)
No. 6 Colquitt County (R1 #1) vs. No. 27 East Coweta (R2 #4)
No. 7 Douglas County (R2 #2) vs. No. 26 West Forsyth (R6 #3)
No. 8 Camden County (R1 #4) vs. No. 25 North Paulding (R5 #3)
No. 9 Collins Hill (R8 #2) vs. No. 24 McEachern (R3 #3)
No. 10 Grayson (R4 #1) vs. No. 23 Newton (R4 #2)
No. 11 Valdosta (R1 #3) vs. No. 22 Westlake (R2 #3)
No. 12 Richmond Hill (R1 #5) vs. No. 21 Lambert (R6 #2)
No. 13 Walton (R5 #2) vs. No. 20 Brookwood (R7 #2)
No. 14 Harrison (R3 #1) vs. No. 19 Norcross (R7 #3)
No. 15 Mill Creek (R8 #3) vs. No. 18 South Gwinnett (R4 # 3)
No. 16 North Atlanta (R6 #1) vs. No. 17 Hillgrove (R3 #2)
Class 5A
No. 1 Milton (R7 #1) vs. No. 32 Pope (R6 #6)
No. 2 Lee County (R2 #1) vs. No. 31 Villa Rica (R5 #4)
No. 3 Thomas Co. Central (R2 #2) vs. No. 30 Dutchtown (R3 #3)
No. 4 Roswell (R7 #2) vs. No. 29 Winder-Barrow (R8 #3)
No. 5 Sequoyah (R6 #2) vs. No. 28 Glynn Academy (R1 # 4)
No. 6 Hughes (R3 #1) vs. No. 27 Lanier (R7 #4)
No. 7 Decatur (R4 #2) vs. No. 26 Creekview (R6 #5)
No. 8 Brunswick (R1 #1) vs. No. 25 Effingham County (R1 #3)
No. 9 East Paulding (R5 #2) vs. No. 24 Tri-Cities (R4 #3)
No. 10 Rome (R5 #1) vs. No. 23 New Manchester (R5 #3)
No. 11 Sprayberry (R6 #1) vs. No. 22 Woodstock (R6 #4)
No. 12 Coffee (R2 #3) vs. No. 21 Seckinger (R7 #5)
No. 13 Gainesville (R7 #3) vs. No. 20 Houston County (R2 #4)
No. 14 Lakeside (Evans) (R1 #2) vs. No. 19 River Ridge (R6 #3)
No. 15 Woodward Academy (R4 #1) vs. No. 18 Newnan (R3 #2)
No. 16 Clarke Central (R8 #1) vs. No. 17 Jackson County (R8 #2)
Class 4A
No. 1 Blessed Trinity (R6 #1) vs. No. 32 Madison County (R8 #5)
No. 2 Cartersville (R7 #1) vs. No. 31 Northside-Columbus (R3 #5)
No. 3 North Oconee (R8 #1) vs. No. 30 Ware County (R1 # 2)
No. 4 Marist (R5 #1) vs. No. 29 Lithonia (R5 #5)
No. 5 Eastside (R8 #2) vs. No. 28 Westminster (R6 #4)
No. 6 Cedartown (R7 #2) vs. No. 27 Southwest DeKalb (R5 #2)
No. 7 Ola (R2 #1) vs. No. 26 Benedictine (R1 #3)
No. 8 Cambridge (R6 #3) vs. No. 25 Tucker (R5 #3)
No. 9 Starr’s Mill (R3 #3) vs. No. 24 Hiram (R7 #3)
No. 10 Mays (R4 #2) vs. No. 23 Warner Robins (R1 #4)
No. 11 Central-Carrollton (R3 #1) vs. No. 22 Cass (R7 #4)
No. 12 East Forsyth (R8 #3) vs. No. 21 St. Pius (R5 #4)
No. 13 Jones County (R2 #2) vs. No. 20 Jackson-Atlanta (R4 #3)
No. 14 Creekside (R4 #1) vs. No. 19 Jonesboro (R3 #2)
No. 15 Harris County (R3 #4) vs. No. 18 Hampton (R2 #3)
No. 16 Perry (R1 #1) vs. No. 17 Kell (R6 #2)
Class 3A
No. 1 Jefferson (R8 #1) vs. No. 32 Chestatee (R6 #3)
No. 2 Cherokee Bluff (R8 #2) vs. No. 31 Liberty County (R3 #5)
No. 3 Harlem (R4 #1) vs. No. 30 Troup (R2 #5)
No. 4 Peach County (R1 #1) vs. No. 29 Adairsville (R7 #4)
No. 5 Westover (R1 #2) vs. No. 28 Gilmer (R7 #5)
No. 6 Sandy Creek (R2 #1) vs. No. 27 Spalding (R2 #6)
No. 7 Jenkins (R3 #2) vs. No. 26 Whitewater (R2 #4)
No. 8 North Hall (R6 #1) vs. No. 25 Monroe Area (R8 #4)
No. 9 Westside-Augusta (R4 #3) vs. No. 24 Luella (R5 #3)
No. 10 Oconee Co. (R8 #3) vs. No. 23 Heritage-Ringgold (R7 #2)
No. 11 SE Bulloch (R3 #3) vs. No. 22 NW Whitfield (R7 #3)
No. 12 West Laurens (R4 #4) vs. No. 21 Baldwin (R4 #2)
No. 13 Calhoun (R7 #1) vs. No. 20 Cairo (R1 #3)
No. 14 Douglass (R5 #2) vs. No. 19 Lumpkin County (R6 #2)
No. 15 Stephenson (R5 #1) vs. No. 18 Long County (R3 #4)
No. 16 LaGrange (R2 #3) vs. No. 17 Upson-Lee (R2 #2)
Class 2A
No. 1 Morgan County (R2 #2) vs. No. 32 Hardaway (R1 #5)
No. 2 Rockmart (R7 #1) vs. No. 31 Therrell (R5 #5)
No. 3 Carver-Columbus (R1 #1) vs. No. 30 Miller Grove (R6 #3)
No. 4 Callaway (R2 #1) vs. No. 29 Cook (R3 #4)
No. 5 Sumter Co. (R1 #2) vs. No. 28 Lakeview-Ft. Ogle. (R7 #5)
No. 6 Burke County (R4 #1) vs. No. 27 Crisp County (R3 #3)
No. 7 Hapeville Charter (R5 #1) vs. No. 26 Butler (R4 #4)
No. 8 Pierce County (R3 #2) vs. No. 25 South Atlanta (R6 #2)
No. 9 Carver-Atlanta (R5 #2) vs. No. 24 East Jackson (R8 #5)
No. 10 Stephens County (R8 #3) vs. No. 23 Union Co. (R7 #4)
No. 11 Ringgold (R7 #2) vs. No. 22 Jackson (R2 #5)
No. 12 Westside-Macon (R2 #3) vs. No. 21 Shaw (R1 #4)
No. 13 Appling County (R3 #1) vs. No. 20 Pike County (R2 #4)
No. 14 Spencer (R1 #3) vs. No. 19 Laney (R4 #3)
No. 15 Hart County (R8 #4) vs. No. 18 Thomson (R4 #2)
No. 16 Columbia (R6 #1) vs. No. 17 North Murray (R7 #3)
Class A Division I
No. 1 Fannin County (R7 #1) vs. No. 32 Vidalia (R3 #5)
No. 2 Dublin (R2 #1) vs. No. 31 Gordon Central (R7 #6)
No. 3 Toombs County (R3 #2) vs. No. 30 McNair (R4 #5)
No. 4 Thomasville (R1 #2) vs. No. 29 Coosa (R7 #7)
No. 5 Northeast (R2 #2) vs. No. 28 Bleckley County (R2 #7)
No. 6 Fitzgerald (R1 #3) vs. No. 27 Southwest (R2 #6)
No. 7 Dodge County (R2 #3) vs. No. 26 Bacon County (R1 #6)
No. 8 Lamar County (R4 #2) vs. No. 25 Swainsboro (R3 #3)
No. 9 Heard County (R6 #1) vs. No. 24 Dade County (R7 #5)
No. 10 Gordon Lee (R7 #3) vs. No. 23 Putnam County (R4 #3)
No. 11 Temple (R6 #2) vs. No. 22 Bremen (R6 #3)
No. 12 Worth County (R1 #1) vs. No. 21 Rabun County (R8 #4)
No. 13 Commerce (R8 #2) vs. No. 20 Chattooga (R7 #4)
No. 14 Jasper County (R4 #4) vs. No. 19 Elbert County (R8 #3)
No. 15 Social Circle (R4 #1) vs. No. 18 ACE Charter (R2 #5)
No. 16 Jeff Davis (R1 #4) vs. No. 17 Washington County (R2 #4)
Class A Division II
No. 1 Lincoln County (R8 #1) vs. No. 32 Greenville (R7 #4)
No. 2 Bowdon (R7 #2) vs. No. 31 Pelham (R1 #4)
No. 3 Manchester (R7 #1) vs. No. 30 Marion County (R6 #4)
No. 4 Irwin County (R2 #3) vs. No. 29 Washington-Wilkes (R8 #4)
No. 5 Clinch County (R2 #2) vs. No. 28 Wilkinson County (R5 #2)
No. 6 Greene County (R8 #2) vs. No. 27 Wilcox County (R4 #2)
No. 7 Trion (R7 #3) vs. No. 26 Charlton County (R2 #4)
No. 8 Metter (R3 #1) vs. No. 25 Seminole County (R1 #5)
No. 9 Jenkins Co. (R3 #2) vs. No. 24 Lake Oconee Acad. (R8 #5)
No. 10 Warren County (R8 #3) vs. No. 23 Hawkinsville (R4 #4)
No. 11 Early County (R1 #1) vs. No. 22 Schley County (R6 #2)
No. 12 Mitchell County (R1 #2) vs. No. 21 Taylor County (R6 #3)
No. 13 Brooks Co. (R2 #1) vs. No. 20 McIntosh Co. Acd. (R3 #3)
No. 14 Miller County (R1 #3) vs. No. 19 ECI (R3 #4)
No. 15 Johnson County (R5 #1) vs. No. 18 Wheeler Co. (R4 #3)
No. 16 Macon County (R6 #1) vs. No. 17 Telfair County (R4 #1)
Class 3A-A Private
Note: Schools in this division compete in classes 3A, 2A and A Division I in the regular season. Their classification is Class A Division I unless noted otherwise.
No. 1 Savannah Christian (R3 #1) - bye
No. 2 Fellowship Christian (R5 #1) - bye
No. 3 Athens Academy (R8 #1) - bye
No. 4 Hebron Christian (R8-2A #2) - bye
No. 5 Calvary Day (R3-3A #1) - bye
No. 6 Wesleyan (R5 #3) - bye
No. 7 Christian Heritage (R7 #2) - bye
No. 8 North Cobb Christian (R7-2A #2) - bye
No. 9 Whitefield Academy (R5 #2) - bye
No. 10 Prince Ave. (R8 #1) vs. No. 23 Mount Pisgah Christian(R2-3A #8)
No. 11 Lovett (R5-2A #3) vs. No. 22 Trinity Christian (R2-3A #8)
No. 12 Landmark Christian (R5 #4) vs. No. 21 Providence Christian (R8 #6)
No. 13 Mount Paran Christian (R5 #5) vs. No. 20 GAC (R6-3A #4)
No. 14 Aquinas (R4-3A #5) vs. No. 19 Holy Innocents’ (R5-2A #4)
No. 15 King’s Ridge Christian (R5 #6) vs. No. 18 Darlington (R6 #4)
No. 16 Mount Vernon (R5 #7) vs. No. 17 Savannah County Day (R3 #4)