HLC Week 13 Recap: The Playoff Field is Locked

Week 13 is in the books, and with just one week left in the HLC regular season, the playoff field is officially locked. The Austin Tourists improved to 9–4 with a win over Tortilla Flats. They secured the East last week and now carry a six-game win streak into the regular-season finale as the division’s lone playoff representative. In the West, the New Mexico Lobos clinched the division and moved to 10–3 after beating the Tacos, holding steady as the projected No. 1 seed.

In the other games, the Rockport Leatherheads took down Michiana to secure a playoff berth, and i2^3Σπ—despite a close loss to the Jaybirds—locked up the fourth and final spot based on record. This year’s playoff field looks very similar to last year’s, with the Tourists, Lobos, and Leatherheads all returning, and the Robots sliding into the spot the Jaybirds held in 2024.

With the field set, Week 14 is mostly about seeding. The Lobos and Tourists are close enough in both record and points that the top overall seed isn’t completely settled, though New Mexico remains in the lead. The Robots and Leatherheads—with identical 7-6 records—currently sit in the three and four spots, but their order could flip depending on how they finish the final week.

Everyone else heads to the consolation ladder, with Tortilla Flats and the Jaybirds leading that group at 5–8. Week 14 will finalize the brackets, and then the postseason begins in Week 15—where the Tourists will try to defend their title, the Lobos will aim for a second championship appearance in three seasons, and the Robots and Leatherheads will look to claim their first HLC crown.

Week 14 Matchups