The road to an Ohio high school football state championship now has its final dates and ticket details. The Ohio High School Athletic Association announced Monday, Oct. 19, that the 2026 football state championship games will be played Dec. 3-5 at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium in Canton, with all-session tickets and a special ticket package for school teams on sale beginning Monday.
The seven-game championship schedule opens Thursday, Dec. 3, with the Division II final at 7 p.m. Friday, Dec. 4, brings three games: Division V at 10:30 a.m., Division III at 3 p.m. and Division I at 7:30 p.m. The weekend closes Saturday, Dec. 5, with Division VII at 10:30 a.m., Division VI at 3 p.m. and Division IV at 7:30 p.m.
In conjunction with the Pro Football Hall of Fame, the OHSAA is offering a special ticket package for youth, middle school and high school football teams. Groups with a minimum of 12 students can buy tickets to any state championship game for $6 per student, with up to four accompanying adults at $12 each, by contacting the Hall of Fame to register a team.
Teams attending a championship game can also purchase Pro Football Hall of Fame tickets at group rates — $21.95 per person for groups of 15 or more, or $30 per person with no group minimum — turning a trip to Canton into a full football weekend for players and families.
The announcement, issued under Executive Director Doug Ute, reminds fans that tickets for all OHSAA postseason tournament contests in all sports are available through the association’s website at OHSAA.org/tickets, as fall tournament season gets underway across Ohio this week.
For the schools still alive in the 2026 playoffs, the Canton dates are the finish line every program pointed to when practice opened in August. Seven divisions will crown champions over three days at the stadium beside the Pro Football Hall of Fame, closing the book on the Ohio high school football season.
Programs, parents and fans planning the trip can secure seats now, and teams hoping to bring their rosters to watch the finals at the discounted student rate are encouraged to register early while the promotion is available.
Photo: Engineerchange, CC BY-SA 4.0