Southern Section to release new football playoff groupings on Friday

After months of tinkering, the Southern Section announced that on Friday it will release its new football playoff groupings based on the competitive equity model approved by member schools.

No longer will schools be placed in playoff divisions based on what league they play in. A formula that includes past performance in the last two years, along with strength of schedule, is being used.

Only 16 teams will qualify in each of the 13 divisions, so it’s important to see how many schools will be in each division. The word is that the new Division 1 will be close to 20 schools, meaning there will be opportunity for at-large teams (fourth-place teams in leagues) to gain a berth.

The Southern Section says it will release the new divisions no later than 3 p.m. on Friday. Also to be released are girls tennis, girls volleyball and boys water polo.

Any adjustments to playoff divisions will come in August based on new or missing data.

For the latest on high school sports, follow @LATSondheimer on Twitter