AHSAA Denies Mary G. Montgomery Appeal, 2026 Postseason Ban Remains

The Vikings will be allowed to complete their 10-game regular-season schedule, but Wednesday’s ruling means MGM remains ineligible for the Class 6A playoffs.

By Southbound Sports | August 27, 2026

MONTGOMERY, Ala. — Mary G. Montgomery’s hopes of returning to postseason eligibility in 2026 have come to an end.

The Alabama High School Athletic Association’s Central Board of Control denied Mary G. Montgomery’s appeal Wednesday, upholding the earlier ruling that placed the Vikings’ football program on restrictive probation for the 2026 season.

The decision means MGM can continue playing its full 10-game regular-season schedule, but the Vikings will not be eligible for the 2026 AHSAA playoffs.

For a team that entered the season hoping the sanctions might ultimately be reduced, Wednesday’s decision provides finality: MGM’s season will end with its final regular-season game.

How MGM Got Here

The situation dates back to May, when Mary G. Montgomery was penalized by the AHSAA for violations of its recruiting rule.

According to the AHSAA, MGM self-reported the violation. The association subsequently fined the school and placed its varsity football program on restrictive probation for the 2026 season.

The penalties extended beyond the postseason ban.

Then-head football coach Zach Golson was suspended from coaching at any AHSAA-member school for the 2026-27 school year. The AHSAA also ruled that students found to be in violation of the recruiting rule would be permanently ineligible to participate in athletics at MGM, although those students could regain eligibility in the school district where their families reside.

Golson was later placed on mandatory transfer status by the Mobile County Public School System, and Alex Page, who initially took over on an interim basis, has since been named MGM’s permanent head football coach.

MGM Continued to Fight the Ruling

Wednesday was not MGM’s first attempt to gain relief from the sanctions.

The Vikings previously took their case to the AHSAA Central Board during its July meeting. The board heard presentations from MGM and Pell City, another program facing sanctions stemming from a recruiting case, but took no action at that time, leaving MGM’s penalties in place.

MGM then appealed to the AHSAA District I Board, which rejected the appeal earlier this month.

That left Wednesday’s special meeting of the Central Board as MGM’s final opportunity to have the restrictive sanctions removed.

The school specifically asked that its student-athletes be allowed to compete for a postseason berth.

The board declined.

MGM Responds to Decision

Following the ruling, Mary G. Montgomery released a statement saying the school had appealed on behalf of its student-athletes and asked the Central Board to remove the restrictive sanctions.

MGM said it has since implemented administrative measures and internal controls and remains committed to following AHSAA rules going forward.

The school acknowledged its disappointment with the outcome but said it respects the Central Board’s decision and will continue supporting its athletes throughout the remainder of the season.

For the players, that means the objective for 2026 has fundamentally changed.

There will be no playoff berth waiting at the end of the regular season regardless of how many games MGM wins.

What the Ruling Means for Class 6A, Region 1

The impact extends beyond MGM.

Mary G. Montgomery competes in Class 6A, Region 1, alongside Alma Bryant, Baker, Daphne, Davidson, Fairhope, Foley and Robertsdale.

But because MGM is ineligible for championship play, games played against the Vikings will not count toward the other teams’ region records or AHSAA tiebreaker scenarios.

That creates an unusual situation.

MGM will play the games on its schedule, and the results will count toward the Vikings’ overall win-loss record, but those contests effectively operate outside the region championship race.

The playoff picture is also different in 2026 because the AHSAA expanded the number of Class 6A playoff qualifiers from each region from four to six. With MGM unable to qualify, the remaining Region 1 programs will compete for those postseason positions.

A Season With a Different Purpose

MGM opened its season last week with a 33-14 loss to Saraland.

Normally, the Vikings could turn their attention toward building a résumé for region play and positioning themselves for November.

That isn’t an option anymore.

Instead, Page and his staff will lead a team playing exclusively for its regular-season record, its seniors, its school and the opportunity to compete each Friday night.

That doesn’t make the remaining games meaningless.

But it does mean there will be a hard stopping point.

No matter what happens over the next two months, there will be no Week 11 for Mary G. Montgomery in 2026.

The Decision Is Final

The AHSAA’s announcement Wednesday was brief.

The Central Board heard MGM’s presentation and upheld Executive Director Heath Harmon’s previous ruling placing the football program on restrictive probation.

MGM had hoped the measures it implemented following the violations — and its appeal on behalf of the current players — would persuade the association to provide relief.

It wasn’t enough.

Mary G. Montgomery can play football in 2026.

The Vikings can win games.

They can build under a new head coach.

But when the regular season ends, so will theirs.

MGM’s 2026 postseason ban remains in place.

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