First edition: Sept. 28, 2026
The first edition of the IHSAA’s 2026 football rankings for Class 2A, Class 1A, Class A and Eight-Player, determined by the IHSAA Football Rankings Committees, are available below.
Ratings Percentage Index (RPI) rankings for Class 5A, Class 4A and Class 3A will be available following Week 6.
Updated standings for classes with district play are also available.
Rankings for Class 2A, Class 1A, Class A and Eight-Player will be determined throughout the 2026 regular season by official rankings committees, as debuted in 2023. The committee rankings for 2A, 1A, A and 8P will feature a top 10 consensus-built list as compiled by a six-person group: Two former head coaches and one media member – each representing different state regions – and three IHSAA staff members. The IHSAA will use the rankings as a primary tool for postseason assignments, while maintaining school and geographic considerations.
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Ratings Percentage Index (RPI) is a formula instituted in 2018 using records to determine a team’s relative strength in a single regular season.
Playoff qualifying information is available below. Final editions will be following the release of first-round playoff matchups.
Rankings committees
Rankings: Sept. 28, 2026
Class 2A
| Rank | School | W | L |
| 1 | Kuemper Catholic | 5 | 0 |
| 2 | CL/GLR | 5 | 0 |
| 3 | Roland-Story | 4 | 1 |
| 4 | Alburnett | 4 | 1 |
| 5 | Van Meter | 4 | 1 |
| 6 | OABCIG | 4 | 1 |
| 7 | Crestwood | 5 | 0 |
| 8 | Mid-Prairie | 4 | 1 |
| 9 | Osage | 5 | 0 |
| 10 | Spirit Lake | 3 | 2 |
Class 1A
| Rank | School | W | L |
| 1 | Regina | 5 | 0 |
| 2 | West Lyon | 4 | 1 |
| 3 | South Hardin | 5 | 0 |
| 4 | Aplington-Parkersburg | 5 | 0 |
| 5 | Treynor | 4 | 1 |
| 6 | Underwood | 4 | 1 |
| 7 | Beckman Catholic | 5 | 0 |
| 8 | Interstate 35 | 4 | 1 |
| 9 | Clarion-Goldfield-Dows | 4 | 1 |
| 10 | Northeast | 5 | 0 |
Class A
| Rank | School | W | L |
| 1 | Woodbury Central | 5 | 0 |
| 2 | West Sioux | 5 | 0 |
| 3 | Saint Ansgar | 5 | 0 |
| 4 | Madrid | 5 | 0 |
| 5 | St. Albert | 5 | 0 |
| 6 | Riverside | 4 | 1 |
| 7 | East Buchanan | 4 | 1 |
| 8 | North Linn | 4 | 1 |
| 9 | Wapsie Valley | 4 | 1 |
| 10 | West Fork | 5 | 0 |
Eight-player
| Rank | School | W | L |
| 1 | Audubon | 5 | 0 |
| 2 | Iowa Valley | 5 | 0 |
| 3 | Woodbine | 5 | 0 |
| 4 | Bedford | 5 | 0 |
| 5 | Bishop Garrigan | 5 | 0 |
| 6 | Gladbrook-Reinbeck | 5 | 0 |
| 7 | North Union | 5 | 0 |
| 8 | Edgewood-Colesburg | 5 | 0 |
| 9 | Kingsley-Pierson | 5 | 1 |
| 10 | Coon Rapids-Bayard | 5 | 0 |
Playoff qualifying information
Standings and point differential
Classes: 2A, 1A, A, 8P
Qualifiers: 32 per class.
Regular season: 8 weeks.
About: Complete district standings are available as automatic qualifiers will be the district champion, district runner-up, district third-place team and the district fourth-place team in Classes 2A, 1A and A. The +/- point differential is used as a 17-point tiebreaker, with overtime games counting for +/- 1.00. In Eight-Player, automatic qualifiers will be the district champion, district runner-up and district third-place team. There will be two at-large qualifiers in Eight-Player based on the +/- 17-point tiebreaker.
First-round matchup release: 10 a.m., Saturday, Oct. 17 at State Playoff Central.
Ratings Percentage Index
Classes: 5A, 4A, 3A.
Qualifiers: 16 per class.
Regular season: 9 weeks.
About: Formula instituted in 2018 using team’s record, their opponents’ record and their opponents’ opponents’ record to determine relative strength in a single regular season. Class 5A uses RPI to determine all 16 playoff qualifiers. In 4A and 3A, RPI will determine the four remaining at-large qualifiers, as the district champion and runner-up from each of the six districts will earn automatic qualifying spots. The +/- 17-point tiebreaker is utilized if necessary to determine automatic qualifiers in 4A and 3A.
IHSAA staff: Jared Chizek, Tyler Lown, Andy Umthun
