Louisiana high school football playoff bracket release delayed by ongoing litigation

The Louisiana High School Athletic Association (LHSAA) will delay the release of its playoff football brackets because of ongoing litigation with a member school, it announced on Friday.

With the final week of the regular season underway, the pairing were expected to be released Sunday. But no new timeline has been given for when they will come out.

“This situation could affect all 307 schools that participate in football across the state,” the LHSAA said in press release. “Given the possible repercussions of the decision made, the LHSAA will withhold all eight postseason brackets until the legal process is concluded and the matter is fully resolved. We appreciate the understanding and patience of our member schools and fans as we work through this important issue.”

The delay stems from Baton Rouge University Lab‘s reported pursuit of legal action after the football program was forced to forfeit seven games due to rules violations earlier this week. The team, which sat at 7-2 after last week’s loss to Madison Prep Academy, was stripped of its victories because of a reported ineligible player, according to TheAdvocate.com.

Rumors had been circulating about an LHSAA investigation into the program for potentially using an ineligible player, and on Monday, the LHSAA confirmed the forfeits by updating the team’s record to reflect nine losses on the state association’s website.

The school told WBRZ-TV that it would be appealing the decision.

University Lab is one of Louisiana’s top programs

Coming into the week, the Cubs were one of the state’s top 25 teams and a major contender for the Class 3A state title next month.

University Lab’s roster features some of the state’s top prospects in the 2025 and 2026 classes, including five-star offensive tackle Lamar Brown and four-star linebacker and LSU commit Keylan Moses.

The Cubs — who are ranked No. 22 in the state by the On3 Massey Ratings — played their final regular season game of the year on Thursday against Port Allen, winning in a 49-14 blowout.

They join a host of schools across the nation who have had wins vacated because of alleged rules violations. Top programs in both Virginia and Florida received multi-year postseason bans, while schools in Florida, Alabama, Georgia and Texas have had multiple wins removed from their record for using ineligible players.