NSAA Announces Approved Changes to Sports

The NSAA has complied a list of new changes for the upcoming 2025-2026 sports season.  Some key highlights of changes are listed below.  View the full list of changes in the attatched document.

Football
• The 8-man playoff eligibility number will increase to 55, beginning with the 2026-27 scheduling cycle.
Beginning in 2026, Class D3 will be added. Class D1 will be the 32 largest 8-man schools. Remaining schools
declaring to play 8-man will be split equally between Class D2 & D3.
• 8-man football schools can regain their one-cycle eligibility waiver if their enrollment number becomes eligible
during the 2nd year of their current waiver period, beginning with the 2026-27 scheduling cycle. 
• Beginning in 2025, the higher seed will host all playoff games prior to the Championship in Class D1 & D2. 
• In 2025 only, the Class D1 & D2 playoffs will be seeded 1-32, with no re-seed after the 1st round.  

Volleyball
• The higher seed will host Class D1 & D2 District Final games. 
• In Class C1 & C2, 7th and 8th grade female team managers are allowed to participate in practice. 
• Class B districts will be seeded statewide, using a serpentine method based on wildcard points. The highest
seeded team will host each match of the district. A neutral site will be used if a matchup of two schools greater
than 300 miles apart occurs in the 1st round or semifinals of the district. District finals will be hosted by the
highest remaining seed regardless of distance. 7 district winners and a wildcard will advance to state.

Basketball
• The higher seed will host Class D1 & D2 District Final games.
• The Class B, C1, C2, D1 and D2 contest limitation is 24 total contests in addition to the postseason.
Tournament play-in games are not to be counted toward the limit of 24 contests.
• Class B districts will be seeded statewide, using a serpentine method based on wildcard points. The highest seeded team will host each game of the district. A neutral site will be used if a matchup of two schools greater than 300 miles apart occurs in the 1st round or semifinals of the district. District finals will be hosted by the highest remaining seed regardless of distance. 7 district winners and a wildcard will advance to state. 
• The seeding date for Class A Girls Basketball Districts will be Saturday of Week 33. Games through Friday of Week 33 will be factored into seeding.