Key Dates for the 2022 High School Football Season in Every State

The 2022 high school football season officially opened earlier this week when teams in Hawaii opened fall camps.

NFL Play Football and High School Football America have put together a list of key dates for the upcoming season.

The list starts with the first official practice days in each state. It also includes first game dates, when the postseason begins, and when state championships will be played.

Alabama

Alabama High School Athletic Association

First Practice — August 1
First Games — August 18
Playoffs Begin — November 4
Championships — November 30 – December 2 at Auburn University

Alabama Independent School Association

First Practice — August 1
First Games — August 18
Playoffs Begin — November 4
Championships — November 17 at Cramton Bowl

Alaska

First Practice — July 27
First Games — August 11
Playoffs Begin — October 7
Championships — October 15 (Divisions II & III); October 21 (Division I)

Arizona

First Practice — July 25 (3A, 2A, 1A); August 8 (6A, 5A, 4A)
First Games — August 18 (3A, 2A, 1A); September 1 (6A, 5A, 4A)
Playoffs Begin — October 21 (1A); November 4 (3A, 2A); November 18 (6A, 5A, 4A); November 25 (Open Division)
Championships — November 12 (1A); Open, 6A, 5A, 4A, 3A, 2A Dates to be Determined

Arkansas

First Practice — August 1
First Games — August 21 (Week 0)
Playoffs Begin — November 11
Championships — December 1-3

California

State Playoffs

Regional Bowl Championships (North/South) — December 2-3
State Championship Bowl Games — December 9-10

Central Section

First Practice — August 1
First Games — August 18
Playoffs Begin — November 4

Central Coast Section

First Practice — August 5
First Games — August 25
Playoffs Begin —November 11-12

Los Angeles City Section

First Practice — July 25
First Games — August 25
Playoffs Begin — November 4

North Coast Section

First Practice — August 8
First Games — August 24
Playoffs Begin — November 11-12

Northern Section

First Practice — August 1
First Games — August 25
Playoffs Begin — October 28 (11-man); November 10 (8-man)

Oakland Section

First Practice — To be Determined
First Games — TBD
Playoffs Begin — TBD

Sac-Joaquin Section

First Practice — July 25
First Games — August 19
Playoffs Begin —November 4

San Francisco Section

First Practice — August 1
First Games — August 26
Playoffs Begin — To be Determined

San Diego Section

First Practice — July 30
First Games — August 18
Playoffs Begin — November 4

Southern Section

First Practice — August 1 (11-man Week 0 start); August 8 (11-man Week 1 start); August 8 (8-man Week 0 start); August 15 (8-man Week 1 start)
First Games — August 19 (11-man Week 0 start); August 26 (11-man Week 1 start); August 26 (8-man Week 0 start); September 2 (8-man Week 1 start)
Playoffs Begin — November 4 (11-man & 8-man)

Colorado

First Practice — August 8
First Games —August 25
Playoffs Begin —November 5 (5A, 4A, 2A, 1A, A8, A6); November (3A)
Championships — November 26 (2A, 1A, A8, A6); December 3 (5A, 4A, 3A)

Connecticut

First Practice — August 20
First Games — September 8
Playoffs Begin — November 29
Championships — December 10

Delaware

First Practice — August 16
First Games — September 2
Playoffs Begin —November 18
Championships — December 11 at University of Delaware

Florida

First Practice — August 1
First Games — August 24
Playoffs Begin — November 11
Championships — December 8-10 at Gene Cox Stadium in Tallahassee with classes to be announced; December 15-17 at DRV PNK Stadium in Fort Lauderdale with classes to be announced

Georgia

First Practice — August 1
First Games —August 19
Playoffs Begin —November 11
Championships — December 8-10 at Centre Parc Stadium at Georgia State University

Hawaii

First Practice — Underway
First Games — August 4
Playoffs Begin — November 4
Championships — November 18-19

Idaho

First Practice — August 8
First Games —August 19
Playoffs Begin — October 28
Championships — November 18-19

Illinois

First Practice — August 8
First Games — August 25
Playoffs Begin — October 28
Championships — November 25-26 at University of Illinois

Indiana

First Practice — August 1
First Games — August 19
Playoffs Begin —October 21 (5A, 4A, 3A, 2A, 1A); October 28 (6A)
Championships — November 25-26

Iowa

First Practice — August 8
First Games — August 26
Playoffs Begin — October 21 (2A, 1A, A, 8-Player); October 28 (5A, 4A, 3A)
Championships — November 17-18

Kansas

First Practice — August 15
First Games — September 2
Playoffs Begin — October 27
Championships — November 26

Kentucky

First Practice — August 1
First Games — August 19
Playoffs Begin — November 3-5
Championships — December 2-3

Louisiana

First Practice — August 1 (Schools that didn’t have spring practice); August 8 (Schools that participated in spring practice)
First Games — September 1
Playoffs Begin — November 10
Championships — December 9-10 at Superdome, home of the New Orleans Saints

Maine

First Practice — August 15
First Games — September 2
Playoffs Begin — October 21 (8-Man Small); October 28 (B, C, 8-Man Large); November 4 (A, D)
Championships — November 12 (8-Man); November 19 (A, B, C, D)

Maryland

First Practice — August 10
First Games — September 2
Playoffs Begin — November 4
Championships — December 1-3

Massachusetts

First Practice — August 19
First Games — September 9
Playoffs Begin — November 4
Championships — To be Determined

Michigan

First Practice — August 8
First Games — August 25
Playoffs Begin — October 28
Championships — November 18-19 (8-man); November 25-26 (11-man) at Ford Field, home of the Detroit Lions

Mississippi

Mississippi High School Activities Association

First Practice — August 8
First Games — August 26
Playoffs Begin — November 4 (4A, 3A, 2A); November 11 (6A, 5A, 1A)
Championships — December 2-3

Midsouth Association of Independent Schools

First Practice — July 25
First Games — August 12 (Week 0); August 19 (Week 1)
Playoffs Begin — October 28 (5A, 4A, 3A, 2A); November 4 (6A)
Championships — November 17-19

Missouri

First Practice — August 7
First Games — August 26
Playoffs Begin — October 28
Championships — November 26 (Class 6); December 1-3 (Class 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, 8-man)

Montana

First Practice — August 12
First Games —August 25
Playoffs Begin —October 28
Championships — November 18-19

Nebraska

First Practice — August 8
First Games — August 25
Playoffs Begin — October 20 (D1, D2); October 28 (A, B, C1, C2, D6)
Championships — November 18 (6); November 21-22 at University of Nebraska

Nevada

First Practice — August 1
First Games — August 18
Playoffs Begin — October 27-29 (5A, 4A, 3A); November 4-5 (2A, 1A)
Championships — November 18-19

New Hampshire

First Practice — August 12
First Games — September 1
Playoffs Begin — November 4
Championships — November 11 or 12 (Division III, Division IV); November 18 or 19 (Division I, Division II)

New Jersey

First Practice — August 8
First Games — August 26 (Week 0), September 2 (Week 1)
Playoffs Begin — October 28
Championships — December 3-4

New Mexico

First Practice — August 1
First Games — August 19
Playoffs Begin — October 22 (8-man, 6-man); October 29 (6A, 5A, 4A, 3A, 2A)
Championships — November 12 (8-man, 6-man); November 19 (2A); November 26 (6A, 5A, 4A, 3A)

New York

Catholic High School League

First Practice — August 8
First Games — September 3
Playoffs Begin — November 4
Championships — November 18-19

Long Island

First Practice — August 23
First Games — September 9
Playoffs Begin — November 11
Championships — Thanksgiving Weekend (November 25-27)

New York State Public High School Association

First Practice — August 20
First Games — September 9
Playoffs Begin — October 28
Championships — December 2-4

North Carolina

North Carolina High School Athletic Association

First Practice — August 1
First Games — August 19
Playoffs Begin — November 4
Championships — December 9-10

North Carolina Association of Independent Schools

First Practice — August 1 (11-man, 8-man)
First Games — August 19 (11-man, 8-man)
Playoffs Begin — November 4 (11-man, 8-man)
Championships — November 18 (11-man, 8-man)

North Dakota

First Practice — August 4
First Games — August 18
Playoffs Begin —October 15 (9-Man); October 22 (11B); October 28 (11AA & 11A)
Championships — November 11 at FARGODOME

Ohio

First Practice — August 1
First Games — August 19
Playoffs Begin —October 28
Championships — December 1-3 at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium

Oklahoma

First Practice — August 8
First Games — August 25
Playoffs Begin — November 11
Championships — December 1-3 (6A, 5A, 4A, 3A, C); December 10 (2A, A, B)

Oregon

First Practice — August 15
First Games — September 1
Playoffs Begin — November 4
Championships — November 18 or 19 (1A 6-man); November 25-26 (6A, 5A, 4A, 3A, 2A, 1A 8-man)

Pennsylvania

First Practice — August 15
First Games — August 26
Playoffs Begin — November 18
Championships — December 8-10 at Cumberland Valley High School

Rhode Island

First Practice — August 15
First Games — September 1
Playoffs Begin — November 4
Championships — November 18-19

South Carolina

South Carolina High School League

First Practice — July 29
First Games — August 19
Playoffs Begin —November 4
Championships — December 1-3

South Carolina Independent School Association

First Practice — July 28
First Games — August 19 (Week 0); August 26 (Week 1)
Playoffs Begin — November 4
Championships — November 18-19

South Dakota

First Practice — August 4 (11B, 9-man); August 8 (11AAA, 11AA, 11A)
First Games — August 18 (11B, 9-man); August 25 (11AAA, 11AA, 11A)
Playoffs Begin — October 20 (11B, 9-man); October 27 (11AAA, 11AA, 11A)
Championships — November 10-12 at DakotaDome

Tennessee

First Practice — July 25
First Games — August 19
Playoffs Begin — November 4
Championships — December 1-3 at University of Tennessee-Chattanooga

Texas

University Interscholastic League

First Practice — August 1 (6A & 5A with no spring practice, plus 4A, 3A, 2A, 1A); August 8 (6A, 5A with spring practice
First Games — August 25
Playoffs Begin — November 11
Championships — December 14-17 at AT&T Stadium, home of the Dallas Cowboys

TAPPS

First Practice — August 1
First Games — August 25
Playoffs Begin — November 11
Championships — December 1-3

Utah

First Practice — July 25
First Games — August 12
Playoffs Begin — October 21
Championships — November 11-12 (4A, 3A, 2A, 1A); November 18 (6A, 5A)

Vermont

First Practice — August 15
First Games — September 2
Playoffs Begin — October 29-30
Championships — November 13

Virginia

First Practice — July 28
First Games — August 25
Playoffs Begin — November 11-12
Championships — December 10

Washington

First Practice — August 17
First Games — September 2
Playoffs Begin — November 4
Championships — December 3

Washington, D.C.

First Practice — August 1
First Games — August 26
Playoffs Begin — November 11-12
Championships — November 26 (A); December 3 (AA)

West Virginia

First Practice — August 1
First Games — August 26
Playoffs Begin — November 10-11
Championships — December 1-2

Wisconsin

First Practice — August 2 (11-man); August 9 (8-man)
First Games — August 18 (11-man); August 25 (8-man)
Playoffs Begin — October 21
Championships — November 17-18 at University of Wisconsin

Wyoming

First Practice — August 8 (4A); August 15 (3A, 2A, 1A)
First Games —August 25
Playoffs Begin — October 28
Championships — November 11-12 at University of Wyoming