Overview
- The 98th tournament’s official draw was held on the morning of March 6 at the Mainichi Osaka Oval Hall, with team captains drawing lots to set the path to the final.
- Under draw rules, teams from the same district cannot meet before the quarterfinals, and teams from the same prefecture are kept apart until the final.
- The field includes defending champion Yokohama, last summer’s winner Okinawa Shogaku, Kyushu Kokusai Dai-fuzoku, and 21st Century slot entrant Kochi Agricultural among the 32 schools.
- The player to deliver the opening-ceremony oath will be chosen by a separate lottery among the 32 captains after the bracket is set.
- On March 5, all 32 captains held a reworked small-group “Captain Talk” focused on mindset, training methods, and the theme of heart, skill, and body.