Football Preview: D1 looks the same, but what will changes bring for other divisions?

The football season is here and everyone is talking about a three-peat.

No, not for the Kansas City Chiefs, but for the Bedford High School football team.

The Bulldogs enter the 2024 season with a chance to do something no Division I team has done in almost 20 years. Not since Pinkerton Academy won D1 titles from 2005-07 has a team captured three championships in a row.

In fact, no team had won back-to-back titles in the top division since Exeter in 2011-12, which means two straight titles hadn't been done since before D1 was expanded to 20 teams. Since the 2013 season, no program has been to the final more times than Bedford (five) or won as many (four).

Londonderry, which has been four times in those 11 seasons and won two titles, is the only other D1 team to win more than once in that stretch.

In Division II, Pelham enters the year having won 41 games in a row, including the last two D2 titles. But the Pythons saw a lot of change in the offseason, and the competition in the division may have closed the gap.

Division III saw the most change of any of the four divisions, as it expanded by three teams - with six new programs moving in - and was split into two conferences. Meanwhile, Division IV saw the two programs that combined for seven championship appearances the last for years move up, setting the division up for a lot of change.

Division I

• What's new: Other than the normal cycle of high school sports, nothing.
• Format: 21 teams broken down into three conferences; 13 teams make the playoffs; conference winners get a bye into the quarterfinals.
• Conference Winners (3): Bedford (West), Pinkerton (Central), Exeter (East).
• Other Playoff Teams (10): Londonderry (Central), Salem (Central), Nashua North (West), Winnacunnet (East), Alvirne (Central), Windham (Central), Nashua South (West), Timberlane (East), Spaulding (East), Keene (West).
• Final Four: Bedford, Pinkerton, Exeter, Londonderry.
• Championship: Bedford over Pinkerton.
• Wouldn't be surprised if ... : Salem reached the semifinals.

Division II

• What's new: Division went from 18 to 16 teams for this cycle. Trinity, Kingswood and ConVal are in; Sanborn, Laconia, Lebanon, Gilford, and Hillsboro-Deering are out.
• Format: 16 teams broken down into two conferences; eight teams make the playoffs; conference winners get top two seeds.
• Conference Winners (2): Plymouth (East), Souhegan (West).
• Other Playoff Teams (6): Pelham (West), St. Thomas (East), Trinity (East), Bow (East), Kennett (East), John Stark (West).
• Final Four: Plymouth, Souhegan, Pelham, Bow.
• Championship: Plymouth over Bow.
• Wouldn't be surprised if ...: Manchester West made the playoffs.

Division III

• What's new: Division went from 10 to 13 teams for this cycle. Sanborn, Laconia, Lebanon, Gilford, Somersworth and Newport are in; Trinity, Kingswood and ConVal are out. Lebanon is ineligible for the playoffs this year.
• Format: 13 teams broken down into two conferences, with seven in the East and six in the West; eight teams make the playoffs; conference winners get top two seeds.
• Conference Winners (2): Campbell (East), Monadnock (West).
• Other Playoff Teams (6): Sanborn (East), Somersworth (East), Newport (West), Inter-Lakes/Moultonborough (East); Stevens (West), Laconia (East).
• Final Four: Campbell, Monadnock, Sanborn, Inter-Lakes/Moultonborough.
• Championship: Campbell over Monadnock.
• Wouldn't be surprised if ...: More than five teams from the East made the playoffs.

Division IV

• What's new: Division swapped Somersworth and Newport for Hillsboro-Deering and Farmington-Nute.
• Format: Eight teams, top four makes the playoffs.
• Playoff Teams (4): Raymond, Hillsboro-Deering, Bishop Brady, Winnisquam.
• Championship: Hillsboro-Deering over Raymond.