2025 ONSL Playoffs Set for July 23 - August 3

by Jessi Gannon

The postseason is coming, and the stakes have never been higher. With the regular season entering its final stretch, teams across the Old North State League are preparing for the 2025 ONSL Playoffs—a two-week gauntlet that will determine who claims the cup as league champion.

From July 23 to August 3, 24 teams across four divisions will battle through a three-stage playoff format that rewards regular season success while leaving room for Cinderella runs and clutch heroics. Here's how the chase for the championship will unfold:



🗓️ 2025 ONSL Playoff Schedule

  • Divisional Championship Tournament: July 23–25

  • Regional Series: July 28–30

  • ONSL Championship Series: August 1–3



🔥 Stage 1: Divisional Championship Tournament (July 23–25)

Each of the league’s four divisions—Coastal, Tidewater, Piedmont, and Mountain—will host their own bracket to crown a divisional champion. All six teams in each division qualify, with the higher seed hosting each game.

Format:

Round 1

  • Game 1: 5th Seed at 4th Seed

  • Game 2: 6th Seed at 3rd Seed

  • 1st and 2nd Seeds receive byes

Round 2

  • Game 3: Winner of Game 1 at 1st Seed

  • Game 4: Winner of Game 2 at 2nd Seed

Divisional Final

  • Winners of Games 3 & 4 play for the division title

  • Highest remaining seed hosts the final



⚔️ Stage 2: Regional Series (July 28–30)

The four divisional champions advance to a best-of-three regional series—East vs. East, West vs. West. These matchups determine who will represent each side in the ONSL Championship.

  • Game 1: Hosted by the lower-seeded team

  • Games 2 & 3: Hosted by the higher-seeded team



🏆 Stage 3: ONSL Championship Series (August 1–3)

The final two teams—the best from the East and the best from the West—meet in a three-game series to decide it all.

  • Game 1: Hosted by the lower seed

  • Games 2 & 3: Hosted by the higher seed

Home field advantage is awarded to the side whose division had a player on the winning All-Star Game team.




⚖️ Officials & Oversight

All playoff games will feature 3-man umpiring crews, ensuring fair and consistent officiating at every level of competition.



With rivalries brewing and postseason dreams on the line, there’s no better time to be an ONSL fan. Get ready for walk-offs, upsets, and championship moments as the 2025 Playoffs take center stage.

Mark your calendars. Fill the stands. The road to glory starts July 23.