FHSAA to add two new playoff divisions for football’s Florida Invitational Tournament A total of 32 more teams will make the postseason in separate brackets
Mandarin traveled to Atlantic Coast in the battle for the Principal's Cup in Week 2 of the high school football season. The Mustangs won 47-0. (Kevin Nguyen, News4JAX)
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The Florida High School Athletic Association is expanding the football playoffs with two new brackets for teams who just miss out on qualifying for the postseason.
In a letter sent to member schools on Thursday and obtained by News4JAX, the FHSAA said the Florida Invitational Tournament will begin this year.
It expands on the successful Rural invitational tourney which began last year. It adds 16 teams in Classes 1A through 3A and 16 teams in Class 4A through 7A. Those 16 teams are the highest rated programs that don’t make the traditional playoff field.
The goal is to allow teams who don’t make the 32-team field in one of the classifications to compete for a separate title.
The FIT brackets will hold the first two rounds on Nov. 13 and 20 followed by the semifinals on Nov. 28. The Villages Charter will host championship games on Dec. 5-6.
In the Rural invitational tournament last year, Fort Meade beat Dixie County 21-13.
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About the Author Justin Barney headshot
Justin Barney joined News4Jax in February 2019, but he’s been covering sports on the First Coast for more than 20 years.
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