Division I football regional final Nov. 20 to be played at Paycor Stadium

CINCINNATI — The Division I football regional final is returning to Paycor Stadium for a second straight season. The Bengals and Ohio High School Athletic Association announced Friday that the D-I regional final will be played at the home of the NFL’s Bengals. The matchup won’t be known until later Friday night. St. Xavier (7-5) plays at Elder (9-2) in a regional semifinal, while Moeller (8-3) visits Princeton (11-0). The Paycor Stadium regional final will take place Friday, Nov. 20 at 7 p.m. “We’re fulfilling our commitment of continuing to make Paycor Stadium a place of and for the people of Hamilton County. This is all about the kids and families. These young athletes have worked so hard to get here and giving them a chance to play on the same field as their NFL heroes is a dream come true,” said Commission President Stephanie Summerow Dumas. “We are proud to host and give them this special opportunity once again and into the future.” Doug Ute, OHSAA executive director, said that the association is grateful to the Bengals and the Hamilton County Commissioners "for their support of high school football and their efforts to host this game at Paycor Stadium." "The atmosphere was electric inside Paycor Stadium last year for that game and we know that will be the case again this year. It will be a special night for the teams, schools and communities," Ute said. Bengals Director of Stadium and Event Operations Duane Haring said last year's playoff game was a "tremendous success." "We look forward to providing another memorable experience for student-athletes, their families and fans," Haring said. Tickets to the game are $12 and will be available here beginning Monday at 10 a.m. Tickets will not be sold at the Bengals Box Office, but QR codes linking to the OHSAA ticketing website will be available on-site. Parking for the game will be $10 (credit card only) in the surrounding lots and garages. Gates open for the game at 5:30 p.m. Friday, Nov. 20, and the two main general admission gates (west gate and east gate) will be open. The winner of that regional final next week plays in a state semifinal Nov. 27 at a neutral location to be determined later. St. X defeated Elder in front of 22,374 fans at Paycor Stadium in a regional final Nov. 21, 2025. Princeton defeated Moeller 31-24 in the 2026 season opener Aug. 20 at Paycor Stadium. WCPO 9 Sports reported that 11,249 tickets were sold for that marquee game. SIGN UP: Subscribe to our high school sports newsletter More sports: Mariemont girls soccer team captures first state championship in program history Seton volleyball team captures third consecutive state championship Mauricio Pochettino leaves USMNT to become Manchester United head coach