A New Era for Arizona High School Football Rankings: MaxPreps Takes Over in 2026
By 24 Sports Media
Arizona high school football is entering a new era in 2026.
When the season kicks off in late August, MaxPreps will become the ranking and seeding source used by the Arizona Interscholastic Association (AIA) for high school football. For the first time, the AIA will move away from using its own computer formula to determine football rankings and playoff seeding.
The change could have a major impact on how Arizona’s top programs are evaluated throughout the season—and ultimately, which teams find themselves competing for championships.
Strength of Schedule Will Matter
One of the biggest factors to watch will be strength of schedule.
The MaxPreps ranking system places significant value on the quality of competition a team faces. That means simply stacking up wins against weaker opponents may not carry the same weight as defeating—or competing against—some of the strongest programs in the state.
For coaches and athletic programs, scheduling could become even more important.
A team with fewer wins but a difficult schedule could potentially find itself in a stronger position than a team with an impressive record built against weaker competition.
Could This Help the Open Division Debate?
Arizona football fans know the controversy.
Over the past several seasons, there has been plenty of debate surrounding rankings, strength of schedule and which programs ultimately deserve an opportunity to compete in the Open Division.
Every year brings questions.
Did the right teams get in? Was enough consideration given to strength of schedule? Should a team be rewarded more for its record or for the level of competition it faced?
Moving to MaxPreps won’t necessarily eliminate every argument—rankings and playoff selections will probably always create debate—but it gives Arizona football a different system for evaluating teams and could bring more national consistency to the process.
Every Game Could Matter Differently in 2026
The change creates another storyline worth following throughout the season.
Coaches will be watching the rankings. Players will be watching. Fans will certainly be watching.
And as Arizona’s biggest programs battle through their schedules, it won’t only be about how many games you win—it will also matter who you played along the way.
Will the MaxPreps system finally help settle some of Arizona’s long-running debates surrounding strength of schedule and the Open Division?
We’re about to find out.
The 2026 Arizona high school football season is almost here, and 24 Sports Media will be following the rankings, biggest matchups and playoff race every step of the way.
