How the playoffs changed
Kentucky has not always sent the same number of teams to the postseason. A 9-1 Corbin team could stay home in one decade and a 6-4 team could reach the bracket in another. Here is how the rules moved, and what each one meant for the Redhounds.
-
1959 to 1986
District champion only
1 per district
The rule
Only the district winner advanced to the Kentucky state playoffs. There were no at-large berths, so a single district loss could end the season of an otherwise dominant team.
What it meant for Corbin28Seasons under this format11Playoff appearances0District championships108-win seasons that stayed homeBest Corbin team that missed the postseason: 1960, 11-0 under Walter Green.
-
1987 to 1990
Expanded field, two per district
2 per district
The rule
The playoff field grew: the top two finishers in each district advanced, so one district loss no longer ended a season outright.
What it meant for Corbin4Seasons under this format3Playoff appearances0District championships08-win seasons that stayed homeBest Corbin team that missed the postseason: 1987, 6-4 under Larry “Cotton” Adams.
-
1991 to today
Expanded field, four per district
4 per district
The rule
Most of each district advanced to a larger bracket, with seeding and pairings that changed over the following decades.
What it meant for Corbin36Seasons under this format35Playoff appearances0District championships08-win seasons that stayed homeBest Corbin team that missed the postseason: 2026, 4-2 under Luke Salmons.
Every Corbin season under this format
20264-2202510-4202412-2202312-1202214-1202112-120208-220196-5201813-2201714-2201612-220158-5201410-220139-320125-620117-5201011-3200910-3200813-1200711-220067-620056-6200410-4200310-3200211-4200111-1200011-319999-419988-319976-5199611-119954-719946-519936-619927-519917-5Made the playoffs State champions Stayed home
