Colorado 2026 High School Football Playoff Brackets: First-Round Matchups, Scores and State Championship Schedule

Class 2A opens postseason

Class 2A began play Oct. 31, a week before the other Colorado classifications. Weld Central edged Aspen 6-3, and Lamar held off Prospect Ridge Academy 31-28. Strasburg beat Fort Lupton 56-22, while University defeated Denver West 35-3. Elizabeth is the top seed, followed by The Classical Academy, Wellington and Delta.

Top seeds in larger classes

Cherry Creek, which finished the regular season 9-1, holds the No. 1 seed in Class 5A and received a first-round bye. The Bruins will meet the winner of Heritage and Cherokee Trail in the second round. Valor Christian is seeded second, ahead of Mountain Vista and undefeated Fort Collins, which enters at 10-0.

Roosevelt leads Class 4A and starts in the second round. Loveland, Ponderosa, Pueblo West and Mesa Ridge join the top eight with byes. In Class 3A, top-seeded Palmer Ridge is followed among the top eight by Evergreen, Pueblo East, Timnath and Pueblo County.

First-round games and byes

Class 4A opening-round matchups include George Washington against Montbello, Columbine against Durango, and Frederick against Air Academy. In Class 3A, Berthoud faces Pueblo South, Pomona meets Sierra, and Windsor plays Silver Creek.

In Class 5A, Grandview, Legend, Eaglecrest and Grand Junction also received first-round byes. The smaller-school brackets feature Elizabeth, Meeker, McClave and Idalia among their leading teams.

Championship dates and venues

Six-man, eight-man, Class 1A and Class 2A championship games are set for Nov. 27-28 at CSU Pueblo’s ThunderBowl. Class 3A, 4A and 5A titles are scheduled for Dec. 5 at Canvas Stadium in Fort Collins.