The Nebraska School Activities Association’s Board of Directors approved a sweeping change to Class A football scheduling and playoff qualification, a move that will reshape the postseason landscape and make the road more difficult for programs like Westside.
The board voted 8-0 to eliminate districts beginning in the 2026 season. Under the new format, the top 16 teams in wildcard points will qualify for the playoffs, with no automatic bids. WestsideAthletic Director Tom Kerkman explains how schedules will also shift into a tier system of 10 to 14 teams, designed to prevent lopsided matchups.
“The gist of the proposal is that tier one teams Westside is a tier one team, for example, would not play tier four teams, which are programs that have struggled over the last few years,” Kerkman. “The idea is to eliminate mismatches.”
For Westside, the new format represents a sharp change. In recent years, the Warriors have benefited from softer district draws, often cruising through early postseason rounds. In 2024–25, they opened with a 47-0 win over Westview, followed by a 36-0 victory over Papillion-La Vista and a 47-14 win against Omaha North.
“Playing opponents of similar skill level is good,” Kerkman said. “It should even out the games, which is something that needs to happen.”
Still, Kerkman sees flaws in the new system. The current wildcard formula does not reward teams for beating higher-tier opponents, something he believes should be addressed.
“Westside agrees that tier one and tier four teams shouldn’t play each other, but the power points should reflect that,” Kerkman said. “Tier one teams should get more points for wins against other tier one teams, rather than just the same points for beating lower-tier teams.”
The state will assign schedules in February 2026, ending serpentine scheduling. Top-tier teams will see more frequent matchups against each other.
“The top teams in the state like Millard South, Millard West, Bellevue West and Creighton Prep will play each other every week,” Kerkman said. “You won’t see many, if any, lower-tier teams on the schedule anymore.”
That could create a postseason in which strong programs knock each other out, Kerkman warned, while weaker-schedule teams advance.
“I think what could happen in the postseason is that a lot of good teams could be eliminated, while teams that have played easier schedules might advance,” Kerkman said. “As a result, you could have teams with records like 3-6 or 4-5 who are actually better than any tier three or four team.”
