Kentucky Athletic Association Released Initial Football RPI
The state governing body has issued the first set of RPI rankings to help determine postseason seeding.
Updated on Sept. 29, 2026 in Football
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The Kentucky High School Athletic Association released its initial football RPI ratings on September 28, 2026. These rankings are designed to measure team strength based on performance, team records, and strength of schedule.
Why it matters
The RPI system is critical for postseason competition, as it determines home field advantage during the third round and semifinals of the state playoffs. By accounting for the difficulty of a team’s schedule, the rankings ensure that stronger teams are rewarded with higher seeds.
Initial Class 1A RPI rankings place Dayton at 6th, Holy Cross at 12th, and Bishop Brossart at 13th. Ludlow sits at 16th, followed by Newport Central Catholic at 19th, Newport at 21st, and Bellevue at 24th.
The players
Kentucky High School Athletic Association
This is the governing body responsible for organizing and regulating interscholastic sports and athletic competitions for schools across the state of Kentucky.
The details
The rankings are updated weekly throughout the regular season to provide an evolving look at team standings. These figures will be used by the association to reseed playoff brackets once the tournament reaches the third round.
Timeline
September 28, 2026: Initial RPI football ratings released
October 30, 2026: Regular season concludes and RPI ratings freeze
November 6, 2026: First round of the playoffs begins
December 4-5, 2026: State championship games occur at Kroger Field
Season Trajectory
These initial rankings set the baseline for the postseason bracket, shifting the focus toward strength of schedule as teams fight for home-field advantage. The trajectory of the season will now be dictated by how teams perform against their remaining opponents to improve their standing before the October freeze.
Teams currently ranked lower must secure wins against tougher opponents to climb the standings before the October 30 cutoff. Fans and coaches should monitor the weekly updates to track how late-season matchups shift the projected home-field advantage for the November playoffs.
The takeaway
The RPI system forces teams to balance their win-loss record with the strength of their competition throughout the regular season. Maintaining a high ranking is essential for any school aiming to host crucial playoff games later this year.
Further reading
For more information on the current high school season, visit Kentucky Football.
More information
View the Full RPI standings to see how specific teams are positioned.
Source note: This article includes information reported by LINK nky.
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Should high school football playoff rankings prioritize schedule difficulty over a team's total wins?
