At this time last year, we were spending all of our time trying to keep everyone up-to-date on how the coronavirus pandemic was affecting start dates for the 2020 high school football season. This year, we’re back to normal.
To celebrate the 2021 high school football season, we’ve put together a comprehensive state-by-state list of when fall camps open. In addition, our list below also lets you know when the regular season starts in each state, followed by the beginning of the playoffs and state championship dates.
If you see any errors or omissions, please feel free to email us.
Alabama
1st official practice: August 2
Regular season begins: August 19
Playoffs begin: November 5
State Championships: December 1-3 at Protective Life Stadium in Birmingham
Alaska
1st official practice: July 28
Regular season begins: August 13
Playoffs begin: October 9
State Championships: Division II & III on October 16; Division I on October 22 in Anchorage
Arizona
1st official practice: 1A on July 26; 3A-2A on August 2; 6A-4A on August 9
Regular season begins: 1A on August 18; 3A-2A on August 25; 6A-4A on September 1
Playoffs begin: 1A on October 22; 3A-2A on November 5; 6A-4A on November 19; Open Division November 26
State Championships: 1A on November 6; 3A-2A on December 4; Open Division, 5A, 4A on December 10-11
Arkansas
1st official practice: August 2
Regular season begins: August 26
Playoffs begin: November 12
State Championships: 7A, 6A on December 4; 5A, 4A, 3A, 2A on December 10-11
California
1st official practice: 11-man & 8-Man August 2, if they play Week 0 games; or August 9 for teams with first game during Week 1
Regular season begins: 11-man Week 0 is August 20; 11-man Week 1 is August 27; 8-man Week 0 is August 27; 8-man Week 1 is September 3
Playoffs begin: November 5
State Championships: 11-man on December 10-11; 8-man on November 26-27
Colorado
1st official practice: August 9
Regular season begins: August 26
Playoffs begin: 5A, 4A, 2A, 1A, 8-man, 6-man on November 6; 3A on November 13
State Championships: 2A, 1A, 8-man, 6-man on November 27; the 5A, 4A, 3A will be played on December 4 at Empower Field at Mile High, home of the Denver Broncos
Connecticut
1st official practice: OTAs August 12-14; 1st contact August 21
Regular season begins: September 9
Playoffs begin: November 30
State Championships: December 11
Delaware
1st official practice: August 16
Regular season begins: September 10
Playoffs begin: November 20
State Championships: December 3-4
Florida
1st official practice: August 24
Regular season begins: September 3
Playoffs begin: November 6
State Championships: December 16-19 at Florida State’s Doak Campbell Stadium in Tallahassee
Georgia
1st official practice: August 2
Regular season begins: August 20
Playoffs begin: November 12-13
State Championships: December 9-11 at Georgia State Stadium in Atlanta
Hawaii
1st official practice: July 19
Regular season begins: August 6
Playoffs begin: November 19
State Championships: November 26-27 at site to be determined
*Schedule needs to be approved by Department of Education and Department of Health
Idaho
1st official practice: August 9
Regular season begins: August 27
Playoffs begin: October 29
State Championships: November 19-20
Illinois
1st official practice: August 9
Regular season begins: August 27
Playoffs begin: October 29-30
State Championships: November 26-27 at Northern Illinois in Dekalb
Indiana
1st official practice: August 5
Regular season begins: August 20
Playoffs begin: 5A, 4A, 3A, 2A, 1A on October 22; 6A on October 29
State Championships: November 26-27 at Lucas Oil Stadium, home of the Indianapolis Colts
Iowa
1st official practice: August 9
Regular season begins: August 26
Playoffs begin: October 22
State Championships: November 18-19
Kansas
1st official practice: August 16
Regular season begins: September 3
Playoffs begin: October 29
State Championships: November 27
Kentucky
1st official practice: July 10
Regular season begins: August 20
Playoffs begin: November 5
State Championships: December 3-5 at the University of Kentucky in Lexington
Louisiana
1st official practice: August 2 for teams didn’t hold spring practice; August 9 for teams that held spring ball
Regular season begins: September 2-4
Playoffs begin: November 11-13
State Championships: December 11-13 at Mercedes-Benz Superdome, home of the New Orleans Saints
Maine
1st official practice: August 16
Regular season begins: August 27
Playoffs begin: 8-man October 22-23; Class B & C October 29-30; Class A and D November 5-6
State Championships: 8-man November 12-13; Class A, B, C, D on November 19-20
Maryland
1st official practice: August 11
Regular season begins: September 3
Playoffs begin: November 5
State Championships: December 2-4
Massachusetts
1st official practice: August 20
Regular season begins: September 10-11
Playoffs begin: November 5-6
State Championships: December 3-4 at Gillette Stadium, home of the New England Patriots
Michigan
1st official practice: August 9
Regular season begins: August 26
Playoffs begin: October 29
State Championships: November 26-27 at Ford Field, home of the Detroit Lions
Minnesota
1st official practice: August 16
Regular season begins: September 2
Playoffs begin: November 11
State Championships: November 26-27 at U.S. Bank Stadium, home of the Minnesota Vikings
Mississippi
1st official practice: July 26 for Midsouth Association of Independent Schools (MAIS); August 9 for Mississippi High School Activities Association (MHSAA)
Regular season begins: August 20 for MAIS ;August 27 for MHSAA
Playoffs begin: Class 5A, 4A, 3A, 2A, 1A for MAIS on October 29; MAIS Class 6A on November 5; Class 4A, 3A, 2A for MHSAA on November 5; Class 6A, 5A, 1A for MHSAA on November 12
State Championships: November 18-20 for MAIS ; December 3-4 MHSAA
Missouri
1st official practice: August 9
Regular season begins: August 27
Playoffs begin: October 29-30
State Championships: Class 6 and 8-Man on November 27; Classes 1-5 on December 3-4
Montana
1st official practice: August 13
Regular season begins: August 26
Playoffs begin: October 29-30
State Championships: November 22-23
Nebraska
1st official practice: August 9
Regular season begins: August 26
Playoffs begin: D1 and D2 on October 21; all other classifications on October 29
State Championships: November 22-23 at the University of Nebraska in Lincoln
Nevada
1st official practice: August 2
Regular season begins: August 19
Playoffs begin: October 28-30
State Championships: November 19-20
New Hampshire
1st official practice: August 13
Regular season begins: September 3
Playoffs begin: October 29-30
State Championships: November 12-13
New Jersey
1st official practice: August 9
Regular season begins: August 27
Playoffs begin: November 5
State Championships: Public Regional Championships on November 26-27; Non-Public Finals on December 4-5.
**MetLife Stadium, home of the New York Giants and New York Jets, is the host site for several championship games. Those games are determined in November.
New Mexico
1st official practice: August 2
Regular season begins: August 20
Playoffs begin: 6-man on October 22-23; 8-man on October 29-30; 6A, 5A, 4A, 3A, 2A on November 5-6
State Championships: 6-man on November 6; 8-man on November 13; 2A on November 20; 6A, 5A, 4A, 3A on November 27
New York
1st official practice: August 16 for NY State Public High School Athletic Association (NYSPHSAA) & NYC Catholic Football League; August 23 for Long Island schools
Regular season begins: September 3 for NYSPHSAA, Long Island Schools & NYC Catholic Football League
Playoffs begin: November 5-6 for Long Island schools; November 6 for NYC Catholic Football League
State Championships: November 20 for NYC Catholic League; November 26-28 for NYSPHSAA
North Carolina
1st official practice: August 2
Regular season begins: August 20
Playoffs begin: November 5
State Championships: December 11
North Dakota
1st official practice: Class B on August 5; Class A on August 9
Regular season begins: Class B on August 20; Class A on August 23
Playoffs begin: 9-man on October 16; 11-man on October 29
State Championships: November 12
Ohio
1st official practice: August 1
Regular season begins: August 20
Playoffs begin: October 29-30
State Championships: December 2-5 at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium in Canton
Oklahoma
1st official practice: August 9
Regular season begins: August 26
Playoffs begin: November 12
State Championships: 6A, 5A, 4A, 3A, C on December 3-4; 2A, A, B on December 10-11
Oregon
1st official practice: August 16
Regular season begins: September 2
Playoffs begin: November 5
State Championships: 5A, 4A, 3A, 2A, 1A on November 27, 6A on December 4
Pennsylvania
1st official practice: August 16
Regular season begins: September 3, but teams are allowed to open on August 27
Playoffs begin: November 12
State Championships: December 9-11 at HersheyPark Stadium in Hershey
Rhode Island
1st official practice: August 16
Regular season begins: September 3
Playoffs begin: December 3
State Championships: December 10-11
South Carolina
1st official practice: July 30
Regular season begins: August 20
Playoffs begin: November 12-13
State Championships: December 2-4
South Dakota
1st official practice: August 5
Regular season begins: 11B and 9-man on August 20; all other classifications on August 27
Playoffs begin: 9-man on October 21; 11-man on October 28
State Championships: November 11-13 at DakotaDome in Vermillion
Tennessee
1st official practice: July 26
Regular season begins: August 20
Playoffs begin: November 5
State Championships: December 2-4 at University of Tennessee-Chattanooga
Texas
1st official practice: University Interscholatic League (UIL) – August 2 for 4A, 3A, 2A, 1A, plus 6A and 5A schools with no spring ball; August 9 for 6A and 5A schools that participated in spring ball
Texas Association of Private and Parochial Schools (TAPPS) – August 2
Regular season begins: August 26 for UIL and TAPPS
Playoffs begin: November 11-13 for UIL and TAPPS
State Championships: TAPPS on December 2-4; December 15-18 for UIL at AT&T Stadium, home of the Dallas Cowboys
Utah
1st official practice: July 26
Regular season begins: August 19
Playoffs begin: October 22-23
State Championships: 4A on November 12; 3A, 2A, 1A on November 13; 6A, 5A on November 19
Vermont
1st official practice: August 16
Regular season begins: September 3
Playoffs begin: October 29-30
State Championships: November 12-13
Virginia
1st official practice: July 30
Regular season begins: August 26
Playoffs begin: November 12
State Championships: December 12
Washington
1st official practice: August 18
Regular season begins: September 3
Playoffs begin: November 5
State Championships: December 3-4
Washington, D.C.
1st official practice: August 2
Regular season begins: August 27
Playoffs begin: DCIAA on November 10
State Championships: DCIAA Championship on November 17; Gravy Bowl on November 20; Turkey Bowl on November 25
West Virginia
1st official practice: August 2
Regular season begins: August 26
Playoffs begin: November 12-13
State Championships: December 3-4
Wisconsin
1st official practice: 11-man on August 3; 8-man on August 10
Regular season begins: 11-man on August 19; 8-man on August 26
Playoffs begin: October 22
State Championships: 11-man on November 18-19; 8-man on November 13
Wyoming
1st official practice: 4A on August 9; 3A, 2A, 1A on August 16
Regular season begins: August 26
Playoffs begin: October 29
State Championships: November 12-13 at University of Wyoming’s War Memorial Stadium in Laramie
