The KHSAA began conducting state football championships in 1959. Throughout its history, the competition has been divided into classes based on enrollment (though with historic exceptions noted below). The history of classifications is as follows: • 1959–1974: Three-class system. All schools in
Jefferson County, which includes (and is now
consolidated with) the state's largest city of
Louisville, were placed in Class 3A regardless of enrollment. Remaining schools were placed in Class 2A or A based on enrollment. • 1975–1986: Quasi-four-class system. Initially, all high schools in Jefferson County were placed in Class 4A regardless of enrollment, though by the end of this era smaller schools began to be placed in their appropriate enrollment classes. In this era, there were two separate 4A champions—a "State 4A" winner from outside Jefferson County and a "Jefferson County 4A" champion—that would meet for an overall 4A title. • 1987–2006: True four-class system, with all Jefferson County schools classified according to their enrollment. • 2007–present: Six-class system, again based on enrollment, but with a slight change in calculation of enrollment. Historically, schools were classified based on total enrollment in grades 9 to 12, with all-boys schools treated as having twice their actual enrollment. With the expansion to six classes, the KHSAA changed the basis for classification to enrollment of boys only in the same grades. Traditionally, the championship games were held in Louisville, first at the old
Cardinal Stadium on the grounds of the
Kentucky Exposition Center and later at
L&N Federal Credit Union Stadium, previously known as Papa John's Cardinal Stadium, on the campus of the
University of Louisville. From 2009 to 2016, the games moved to
Houchens Industries–L. T. Smith Stadium on the campus of
Western Kentucky University in
Bowling Green. In 2017, the KHSAA announced that the 2017 and 2018 games will be played at
Kroger Field on the campus of the
University of Kentucky in
Lexington. With the expansion to six classes, the Gridiron Bowl is now a two-day affair, with three championship games on Friday and three on Saturday. ==List of champions==