2024 STORYLINES TO FOLLOW: SSAA moves to 10-game schedule

After years of aligning with the FHSAA calendar the Sunshine State Athletic Association moves to their own schedule to allow teams to have a full schedule this fall

Welcome to the 2024 Florida High School Football season with practices now underway around the state! We will present a plethora of storylines over the coming days that will impact the 2024 season as part of our 2024 Storylines To Follow series and we will update this as we go through the days and weeks leading up to kickoff of the 2024 season!

SSAA MOVES TO 10-GAME SCHEDULE

For those that follow teams in the Sunshine State Athletic Association, the move of the SSAA to a full 10-game schedule is huge, given the SSAA has traditionally based its football calendar in line with the FHSAA over the years.

However, that alignment has been abolished as the SSAA has moved more towards establishing itself further as the second state association in Florida, thanks to changes in state statutes over the last couple of years that now allow for multiple athletic associations to co-exist in the state.

With the SSAA moving to a 10-game schedule, the calendar for over 70 11-man teams will see their regular season officially start on Week 0 on August 16, which has traditionally been reserved as the week for kickoff classics by the FHSAA. As such, 11-man teams now will see their preseason kickoff classics or scrimmages take place on August 8 or August 9, depending on scheduling.

The SSAA 8-man season will also kick off on Week 0 and follow the same alignment of 10 games like 11-man does through the end of October. As such, the SSAA playoffs will now start on Week 11 on October 31 or November 1, depending on scheduling.

Most teams as of this post in SSAA 11-man football have taken advantage of having the extra weeks back in for regular season action.

MORE IN THE 2024 STORYLINES TO FOLLOW SERIES

• New classifications will set tone

• How many defending state champions will be able to repeat?

• SSAA moves to 10-game schedule

• FHSAA playoff power rankings will shift more toward MaxPreps rankings

• Rural classification taking on new playoff format in test

• Where are the FHSAA State Championships going to be played at?