FHSAA releases high school football inaugural Independent League divisions

The 2026 high school football season is right around the corner, bringing with it six classes rather than seven and now a new league.

The FHSAA announced the structure for the inaugural Independent Football League for the 2026 season Tuesday, July 14. It will consist of two divisions, Division A, schools with populations of 900 and above, and Division B, schools with populations up to 899 students. Both divisions are split based on North and South regions.

Official names have yet to be determined by the FHSAA Student Athlete Advisory Committee. 

West Orange County teams playing under Pool A of the Independent League are Lake Buena Vista High and Windermere High, both in the North region. Teams in Pool B are Central Florida Christian Academy, Foundation Academy and Windermere Preparatory Academy, all in South region. 

Participating schools have the flexibility to schedule regular-season games independently. MaxPreps rankings will be used to seed teams for the postseason with 16-team brackets, eight from North and eight from South. The higher seed will host each round of playoffs with the winner of each region playing at The Villages Charter School Friday, Dec. 4. 

Any team not chosen for postseason play will be allowed to schedule bowl games. 

In March 2027, league participants will meet to discuss the operations of the league's first season.