A huge shakeup could be coming in Ohio high school football.
Ironton, per multiple reports, is at risk of being disqualified from the OHSAA playoffs due to possible recruiting violations.
It would be a major moment in the future of high school football in the Buckeye state. Ironton is a public school located in the southeast corner of the state, not far from West Virginia and Kentucky. The Tigers are five-time state champions, including a 2024 crown in Division V.
Football Scoop's Zach Barnett explained the situation like this:
"The Fighting Tigers' success has always been followed by accusations of illegal recruiting, and the Ohio High School Athletic Association opened an investigation earlier this season into the eligibility of multiple players who transferred in out of state."
Ironton football players gathered at the school board office on Friday hoping their board would put up a fight against a potential ruling.
Ironton football players currently gathered on the steps of their school board office, urging the board to put up a fight against potential OHSAA rulings (via Jim Ridgeway on Facebook) https://t.co/ZAmmj2rHsF pic.twitter.com/mEXKs08iRd
— Martin RPI (@MartinRPI) October 24, 2025
A ruling that disqualifies Ironton from the football playoffs could have wide-ranging consequences.
For one, it will raise questions statewide about whether the OHSAA will change its enforcement of transfer rules and procedures at private schools.
For another, it has an immediate trickle-down effect on the playoffs, which start next week.
Ironton plays its final regular season game, a Week 10 home matchup with Portsmouth, on Friday night, Oct. 24.
The Fighting Tigers are set to be a top-three seed in Division V, Region 19, with Wheelersburg and Columbus Academy also in the mix for the top seed.
If Ironton is disqualified, it'll mean an extra team sneaks in to the 12-team regional field, and it'll also open up the chances of someone other than the defending state champ making it out of the region.
Reports indicate the OHSAA will make a ruling on Saturday morning, so a press release is coming soon that could have huge implications.
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