Is football next in line for a Super 8-style tournament? A recent vote by the MIAA Football Committee suggests the answer is yes, signaling a potential shake-up for Massachusetts high school football.

On Thursday, May 14, the committee voted 13-4 in favor of introducing an "elite" Division 1A tournament to the playoff structure, starting with the 2027 season. This decision follows the MIAA Board of Directors' approval of Super 8 tournaments for baseball (spring 2027) and boys and girls ice hockey (winter 2027-28). While boys hockey has hosted Super 8 tournaments since 1991 and baseball ran them from 2014 to 2019, this marks a historic first for girls hockey.

The proposed football Super 8 would exclusively draw teams from the current Division 1 and Division 2 ranks. However, the plan still needs approval from the MIAA Tournament Management Committee (TMC) and, if passed, a final vote from the Board of Directors. "They have already approved Super 8s for other sports, so I don't know why they wouldn't approve this one," noted Milton High coach Steve Dembowski, who voted in favor despite mixed feelings.

MIAA spokesperson Jim Clark confirmed the proposal isn't on the TMC's agenda for their May 20 meeting but didn't specify when it might be considered. Dembowski, a former state coaches association president, views the Super 8 as a stepping stone rather than a final solution. "I think it's a Band-Aid to where we need to get to," he explained, "but it's probably the next step to improve it and try to give all teams that play football a quality regular season."

Under the new structure, the football calendar would be reimagined, with divisional playoff fields halved from 16 teams to eight per division. This reduces the overall playoff field from 128 teams (across eight divisions) to 72 teams (across nine divisions, including the new 1A bracket). For fans and players alike, this could mean more competitive matchups and a streamlined path to championship glory.