Snow is usually on the ground, or at least in the air, by the time the Minnesota state football tournament reaches its fever pitch. For a lot of folks in this state, the "Prep Bowl" isn't just a series of games. It’s a pilgrimage. Whether you're coming from the Iron Range or the southwestern prairies, the destination is the same: the glass-and-steel behemoth known as U.S. Bank Stadium.
Honestly, there’s something special about seeing a small-town 9-man team play on the same turf where the Vikings suit up. It’s the ultimate equalizer.
What Most People Get Wrong About the Bracket
If you think the regular season record is the only thing that matters, you've clearly never survived a Section playoff. In Minnesota, the post-season is a brutal, high-stakes gauntlet. Basically, the state is divided into seven classes based on school enrollment: Class 6A (the giants), 5A, 4A, 3A, 2A, 1A, and the 9-Player division.
Each class is split into eight sections. Here’s the kicker: Every single team makes the playoffs in most classes. You could go 0-8 in the regular season and still theoretically win a state title if you catch fire in late October.
Once you win your section, you’re in the "State" bracket. This is where the geography gets weird. Section champions are often paired in the quarterfinals at neutral sites—places like Rocori, Woodbury, or Alexandria—before the winners earn their ticket to Minneapolis for the semifinals and the championship.
The 2025 Powerhouses and Recent Shockers
The 2025 season just wrapped up its final chapters, and it was anything but predictable. In Class 6A, the big-school heavyweights like Edina and Minnetonka were the talk of the Twin Cities. Edina, led by stars like wideout Owen Egge and quarterback Mason West, proved that their 2023 runner-up finish was just a warm-up. They took down Moorhead 42-35 in a championship game that felt more like a track meet than a football game.
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Down in Class AAA, Annandale has become a literal defensive wall. They gave up only 36 points in the entire 2025 regular season. Let that sink in. They capped it off by beating Waseca 17-7 to claim the throne.
Then there’s Minneota. If you follow Minnesota high school football, you know this name. They are a Class A dynasty. They entered the 2025 state tournament with a massive winning streak and didn't let up, dismantling teams with a rushing attack that looks more like a runaway freight train.
Why the Minnesota State Football Tournament Still Matters
High school sports are changing. You’ve got NIL deals starting to creep into the conversation and kids transferring schools like they’re free agents. But the state tournament remains remarkably pure.
It’s about the "communities." You’ll see entire towns in rural Minnesota literally shut down. The local hardware store puts a "Gone to the Game" sign in the window. The caravan of SUVs and school buses stretches for miles down I-94.
A History of Turf and Tundra
Before U.S. Bank Stadium, there was the Metrodome. And before that? The games were played outside in the elements. There are legendary stories of the "Ice Bowl" era where coaches had to clear snow off the sidelines just to see the yard markers.
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The MSHSL (Minnesota State High School League) officially started the playoff system in 1972. Before that, "state champions" were often just decided by mythical rankings or newspaper polls. Since then, the format has exploded. We went from four classes to seven, ensuring that schools with 50 kids have just as much of a shot at a trophy as schools with 3,000.
Key Players Who Lit Up the 2025-2026 Season
You can't talk about this year's tournament without mentioning the talent. It’s arguably one of the deepest recruiting years Minnesota has seen in a decade.
- Emmanuel Karmo (Robbinsdale Cooper): A linebacker who plays like he’s shot out of a cannon. He’s been a nightmare for offensive coordinators all year.
- Meyer Swinney (Edina): A versatile athlete who seemed to be involved in every big play during Edina's playoff run.
- Abu Tarawallie (Heritage Christian): A defensive lineman who simply cannot be blocked one-on-one.
It’s not just the Division I locks, though. The tournament is often won by the "program kids"—the seniors who have been playing together since third-grade flag football and know exactly where their teammate is going to be on a broken play.
Understanding the Logistics: Tickets and Timing
If you’re planning on attending the 2026 tournament, or looking back at how the schedule usually flows, mark your calendars for November. The "Prep Bowl" is the grand finale, usually held the Friday and Saturday after Thanksgiving.
Tickets are almost exclusively digital now through the MSHSL website. Don’t show up at the U.S. Bank Stadium gates expecting to buy a paper ticket from a booth. It doesn't work like that anymore.
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Parking in downtown Minneapolis is always a bit of a headache, so most veteran fans park in the outskirts and take the Light Rail right to the stadium's front door. It’s cheaper, and honestly, the atmosphere on the train with fans from four different schools is half the fun.
The Actionable Path for 2026
The road to the next Minnesota state football tournament starts long before the first frost. If you're a player, parent, or just a die-hard fan, here is how you stay ahead of the game:
Check the MSHSL website in late August for the updated section groupings. Enrollment shifts every two years, and your favorite team might have jumped from 4A to 5A, which changes their entire playoff path.
Follow local beat writers on social media. People like those at the Star Tribune or Northstar Football News provide the granular detail that national sites miss. They know which sophomore quarterback is about to have a breakout year in rural Section 8.
Lastly, get to a quarterfinal game. While the Prep Bowl at U.S. Bank Stadium is the spectacle, the quarterfinals at local high school fields are where the real grit happens. There’s nothing like watching a win-or-go-home game under the Friday night lights of a small-town stadium with the smell of concession stand popcorn and damp grass in the air.
The 2025 season proved that the gap between the "elites" and the "underdogs" is shrinking. Whether it's a 9-man battle or a 6A clash, the state tournament remains the heartbeat of Minnesota sports.