Absegami Football will be among the fifteen south Jersey teams competing in the newly-formed Group V this season.

The New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association released its classifications last week for the upcoming high school football season, following the executive committee's approval to create a Group V designation in the four public school sections in May.

"This creates a greater opportunity for schools and for student-athletes," Jack DuBois, NJSIAA assistant director who is in charge of football, said following the approval. "It increases the number of teams playing in the playoffs from 128 to 160. At the same time, it eliminates 16 consolation games that schools didn't want to play anyway."

The proposal also allows teams with records are under .500 to participate in the playoffs if they are needed to fill an eight-team bracket.

"We fill brackets in other sports that way, such as baseball and soccer," DuBois said.

The new groups expand the number of sectional champions in the state from 20 to 24. Here is a full list of the classifications entering the season, including the non-public schools.

The new groups throughout the state are as follows:

South

North 1

North 2

Central

Non-Public