Eleven Connecticut high school football teams unofficially qualified for 2026 CIAC playoffs

Lucca Boyce and Daniel Hand have unofficially clinched a berth in the 2026 CIAC Class SS football playoffs. (Arnold Gold/Hearst Connecticut Media) With three regular-season weeks remaining in the 2026 season, 11 Connecticut high school football teams had unofficially clinched CIAC playoff spots among the six playoff divisions entering Thursday's games, according to projections by GametimeCT. The projections are determined using the CIAC playoff formula, using OpenAI's GPT-6 Luna medium model and verified by by GametimeCT using the current CIAC football playoff standings. They are unofficial until the regular season is completed and the CIAC football committee meets and approves the playoff points.The teams with the eight highest CIAC playoff point averages qualify for the CIAC quarterfinals, which will be played Tuesday, Dec. 1 at the sites of the higher seeds. 2026 CIAC Football Class LL Playoff Standings and GametimeCT projections through Week 9 (Wednesday, Nov. 11, 2006) (Sean Patrick Bowley; Standings via CIACSports.org/Hearst Connecticut Media) In Class LL, Staples (7-1) and Southington (7-1)have both clinched playoff berths. They can be joined this week by defending champion Greenwich (6-2)and New Britain (6-2) with victories this week. Greenwich plays St. Joseph and New Britain plays Manchester. No teams have yet been mathematically eliminated. 2026 CIAC Football Class L Playoff Standings and GametimeCT projections through Week 9 (Wednesday, Nov. 11, 2006) (Sean Patrick Bowley; Standings via CIACSports.org/Hearst Connecticut Media) In Class L, 8-0 Naugatuck is the only team so far to have clinched a playoff berth. Ludlowe (8-0) is very close and will likely clinch by defeating Staples this week. Only Amity and Wilby have been mathematically eliminated. 2026 CIAC Football Class MM Playoff Standings and GametimeCT projections through Week 9 (Wednesday, Nov. 11, 2006) (Sean Patrick Bowley; Standings via CIACSports.org/Hearst Connecticut Media) No teams have qualified in Class MM, but St. Joseph (7-0) is likely to get there by defeating Greenwich on Saturday. 2026 CIAC Football Class M Playoff Standings and GametimeCT projections through Week 9 (Wednesday, Nov. 11, 2006) (Sean Patrick Bowley; Standings via CIACSports.org/Hearst Connecticut Media) Masuk (8-0), Lyman Hall (7-1), New London (8-0) and Guilford (7-1) have all clinched in Class M, leaving four spots remaining for the next 10 teams in the standings that remain mathematically alive. Notre Dame Prep (8-1)will likely clinch with its victory over Bassick this week.All Class MM teams ranked 15th-or-lower have been mathematically eliminated. 2026 CIAC Football Class SS Playoff Standings and GametimeCT projections through Week 9 (Wednesday, Nov. 11, 2006) (Sean Patrick Bowley; Standings via CIACSports.org/Hearst Connecticut Media) Hand (8-0), Plainville (8-0) and Ansonia (7-1) have clinched playoff berths in Class SS, leaving five spots up for grabs. Jonathan Law (6-2) likely will clinch a fourth spot by defeating Lyman Hall on Friday.Nine teams remain mathematically alive up to and including 12th-place Nonnewaug (4-4). Everyone else has been eliminated. 2026 CIAC Football Class S Playoff Standings and GametimeCT projections through Week 9 (Wednesday, Nov. 11, 2006) (Sean Patrick Bowley; Standings via CIACSports.org/Hearst Connecticut Media) In Class S, only North Branford (8-0) has clinched a spot. Tolland (6-2) and Valley Regional/Old Lyme (6-1)could possibly clinch with a combination of victories and losses by other S contenders this week.The CIAC playoff formula awards teams 100 base points with victories, and then 10 points for every defeated opponent's victories, and an additional 5 points for every win by all opponents played. Teams from the Class MM/M and Class SS/S divisions are also given 10-20 additional points for defeating teams from one or two class divisions higher than their own. The total points are divided by games played to determine the team's final playoff point average.Sign up for the Connecticut Briefing from CT Insider. Get the biggest headlines of the day from our network of journalists around the state.This article originally published at Eleven Connecticut high school football teams unofficially qualified for 2026 CIAC playoffs.