With spring practice lurking just beyiond the horizon, the high school football regular season is still more than four months away. As teams around the state of Tennessee prepare to officially start the 2026 season, High School on SI writer Jay Pace predicts which teams will bring home a state championship in each of Tennessee’s nine classifications. 

The Quest For The Golden Ball

Class 1A

South Pittsburg Pirates

South Pittsburg doesn’t just win in Class 1A—it dominates. With a loaded roster and no real challenger in sight, the Pirates aren’t defending a title as much as they’re chasing history. Led by Florida St, commit, Dayon Cooper and a typically nasty Pirate defense, SPHS makes history in 2026, as it wins back-to-back state titles for the first time ever.

Class 2A

Marion County Warriors

The Warriors return to championship form in 2026 after falling short in their bid to win back-to-back state titles, following a 20-7 loss to Huntingdon in last season’s BlueCross Bowl 2A championship game.

The return of senior quarterback Zaiden Humphreys and an experienced roster still smarting from that loss will be the difference in 2026.

Class 3A

Westview Chargers

Is there really any question here? Quarterback Graham Simpson and running back Asa Barnes return after record-setting seasons that ended with a perfect 15-0 record and a state championship. With the addition of some key transfers this off-season, the 2026 edition may be better than the 2025 group that outscored its opponents 707-177. Chargers roll again in 2026.

Class 4A

Alcoa Tornadoes

Death, taxes and Alcoa. The Tornadoes have won 11 straight state titles and 19 overall in the past 22 seasons. Alcoa is without peer in the state of Tennessee when it comes to championship programs. Classified as a 4A school, Alcoa could compete for a championship in Class 6A — and that is not an exaggeration.. QB Thomas Manu and WR Jamir Dean return as Alcoa roars to a 12th straight state title.

Class 5A

Page Patriots

After four straight losses in the 5A championship game, coach Charles Rathbone and the Patriots finally exorcised their championship-game demons to claim their first state title in school history by knocking off defending 5A champion Sevier County 21-14.

Page proved it can close the deal and with that barrier now gone, the Patriots don’t stall, they build on it 

Class 6A

Oakland Patriots

For the most dominant 6A program in state history, the beat rolls on in 2026 for Coach Kevin Creasy’s Patriots. Oakland has won two straight class 6A titles and eight of the last 11. Creasy, who enters his 19th season as a head coach, has won nine state championships across three different programs, beginning with Trousdale County in 2008.

Despite losing several key contributors from last years title team, no one appears capable of stopping an Oakland three-peat in 2026.

Division II

Class 1A

Nashville Christian Eagles

Despite losing the Gatorade Player of the Year in five-star quarterback Jared Curtis (Vanderbilt), and all-state running back TJ Ward (TCU), the Eagles are the favorites to bring home a gold ball once again in 2026.

Led by junior quarterback Tate Mathis and senior RB/WR Kaden Grigsby, the Eagles remain a formidable foe in Year 1 of the post-Jared Curtis era. If you want to be the best, you’ve got to beat the best — and until that happens, Nashville Christian remains the favorite.

Class 2A

Battleground Academy Wildcats

When Bobby Bentley arrived in Franklin three years ago, he inherited a program that hadn’t finished above .500 in nearly five years. The Wildcats were bad.

How bad was it? Bentley once recalled a waitress at a local restaurant openly mocking the program shortly after he took over.

Heading into his third season at Battleground Academy, the Wildcats have gone from a punchline to a perennial powerhouse. In two seasons under Bentley, they are 24-4 and the reigning champions in Division II-AA.

The roster is loaded with elite talent hungry to prove last year was no fluke. Right now, II-AA is Battleground Academy’s world, and everyone else is just living in it.

Class 3A

Brentwood Academy Eagles

With apologies to Baylor, Brentwood Academy is the team to beat in the state’s most competitive classification.

After losing a 28-24 heartbreaker in last year’s BlueCross Bowl to Baylor, Brentwood has spent the offseason significantly upgrading an already loaded roster.

The message is clear: It’s championship or bust for coach Paul Wade’s Eagles in 2026. Anything less will be considered a failure.

The Tennessee General Assembly passed House Bill 1446, known as the Recognizing Judea and Samaria Act, sending the measure to the governor’s desk as part of an effort to standardize terminology in state government communications, the National Association of Christian Lawmakers (NACL) said.

The legislation requires state agencies to use the term “Judea and Samaria” in official materials. Supporters argue the terminology reflects ancient Jewish historical ties to the land, while “West Bank,” widely used internationally, dates to Jordan’s control of the territory after 1948 and is viewed by backers of the bill as a later political label.

The measure, which goes into effect July 1, 2026, was advanced by Chris Todd, who also serves as NACL Tennessee State Chair. The organization said the directive is intended to create consistency across government entities and align language with what it describes as established historical references.

NACL Founder and President Jason Rapert framed the bill as part of a broader national effort. He said Todd had shown “principled leadership” by promoting legislation rooted in what he described as historical accuracy. Rapert added that the group has backed similar initiatives across the country and views the measure as part of a growing push for government language to reflect “reality, not political convenience.”

Todd, who chairs the House Agriculture & Natural Resources Committee, framed the legislation as a matter of how public institutions present information, arguing that “accuracy and integrity must be the standard in official government communications.”

He said requiring agencies to use what he described as “historically grounded terms” would create consistency across state entities and avoid taxpayer-funded messaging that reflects politically driven language.

Todd also pointed to broader disputes over historical narratives, saying official terminology influences how information is conveyed to the public and taught to future generations.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WSMV) – A jury has found Live Nation and Ticketmaster guilty of violating federal and state antitrust laws.

Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti and 33 other attorneys general were part of a coalition that filed the lawsuit. The jury decided on Wednesday that the companies had eliminated competition and drove up costs for fans, artists and venues.

“Live Nation and Ticketmaster have ripped off consumers for decades,” Skrmetti said. “…They’re finally being held accountable. A jury determined that Live Nation and Ticketmaster are an illegal monopoly … a breakup is absolutely on the table.”

Live Nation was sued by Srkmetti and 40 other states, as well as the Department of Justice, in May 2024. They alleged that the company controlled almost every aspect of live events, from venue ownership to promotion and ticketing services through Ticketmaster. This allowed them to raise prices while minimizing competition.

The DOJ reached a settlement with Live Nation last month, but 33 states rejected the settlement and continued litigation.

Skrmetti and others in the coalition will attend a separate bench trial at a later date to argue for the penalties the companies should face.

“It’s been over 40 years since an antitrust case resulted in breaking up a company,” Skrmetti said, “and I think we’re due.”