The Iowa High School Athletic Association released the Round of 16 playoff matchups for all seven classes of Iowa high school football on Saturday, Oct. 24, setting the stage for win-or-go-home games across the state. Every team still alive now faces a single elimination path to the UNI-Dome.
According to Yahoo Sports, the matchups were revealed on Saturday morning, with teams in each class placed into four pods of four teams. The winner of each pod advances to the state semifinals at the UNI-Dome in Cedar Falls. KCCI 8 News reported the Round of 16 games are scheduled for 7 p.m. Friday, Oct. 30.
How the playoff format works
Iowa's playoff structure keeps things simple and familiar: win and keep playing, lose and the season is over. In each of the seven classes, the remaining 16 teams are split into four pods of four. Teams play through their pod, and only the pod winner moves on to the state semifinals inside the UNI-Dome, the longtime home of Iowa's championship games.
The classes run from Class 5A, the state's largest schools, down through 4A, 3A, 2A, 1A, Class A, and the 8-player division for the smallest programs. The IHSAA uses RPI rankings and standings to determine qualifiers in the 4A and 3A classes.
Class 5A: Des Moines metro teams dominate the bracket
The largest class is loaded with central Iowa programs. Pod A features Pleasant Valley traveling to Johnston and Dallas Center-Grimes visiting Valley. In Pod C, Urbandale gets Southeast Polk, one of the state's traditional powers, while Cedar Rapids Prairie heads to Sioux City East.
Pod D brings a matchup with big local interest: Waukee travels to Ankeny, and Iowa City Liberty visits Indianola. Elsewhere, Bettendorf plays at Dowling Catholic, Waukee Northwest goes to Cedar Falls, and Ankeny's other power programs are scattered across the bracket.
Class 4A and 3A matchups
In Class 4A, Pod A pairs Davenport North at Cedar Rapids Xavier and North Polk at Newton. Pod C sends ADM to Carlisle and Pella to Lewis Central, while Pod D features Ballard at Western Dubuque and Clear Creek-Amana at Waverly-Shell Rock.
Class 3A includes Harlan Community, a program with a championship pedigree, traveling to Des Moines Christian in Pod B. Pod A has Fairfield at Solon and Assumption at West Delaware. Pod D features Iowa Falls-Alden at Clear Lake and Wahlert Catholic at Mount Vernon.
Small classes and 8-player brackets
Class 2A Pod D includes Osage at Spirit Lake and Kuemper Catholic at PCM. In Pod C, Centerville travels to Van Meter and Roland-Story visits Mid-Prairie.
Class 1A features Sigourney-Keota at Regina, Hinton at West Lyon, Pleasantville at Aplington-Parkersburg, and Shenandoah at Treynor. Class A includes West Hancock at Woodbury Central, West Monona at West Sioux, Wapsie Valley at Saint Ansgar, and Maquoketa Valley at Madrid.
The 8-player division, which gives the state's smallest schools a shot at a title, includes Clarksville at Audubon, Kee at Iowa Valley, Lenox at Woodbine, and Montezuma at Gladbrook-Reinbeck.
What happens next
Winners of the Oct. 30 games advance deeper into their pods, with each pod champion earning a trip to the UNI-Dome for the state semifinals. For the 32 communities still playing in each class, the next few Fridays are the biggest nights of the year.
The Des Moines Register first published the full list of Round of 16 matchups.
Frequently Asked Questions
When are the Iowa high school football Round of 16 games played?
The Round of 16 games are scheduled for 7 p.m. Friday, Oct. 30, according to KCCI 8 News.
Where are the Iowa state football semifinals held?
The semifinals and championship games are played at the UNI-Dome in Cedar Falls.
How does the Iowa playoff pod system work?
Each class places its 16 qualifying teams into four pods of four. The winner of each pod advances to the state semifinals.