The Illinois High School Association (IHSA) and MaxPreps have officially released the schedules for the 2026 Illinois high school football season.

The season will kick off with Week One games taking place August 20th through the 22nd, while the road to the state championship will feature a major change for teams across Illinois.

For the first time since 1985, the IHSA football playoffs are expanding. Beginning this season, each of the eight enrollment classes will increase from 32 playoff qualifiers to 48 teams. That means the total number of playoff participants statewide will jump from 256 schools to 384 schools.

To accommodate the expansion while maintaining consistency in the playoff structure, the IHSA will use new round designations, including an opening round, first round, second round, quarterfinals and semifinals before the state championship games.

The playoffs will begin with opening round contests on October 23rd and 24th, followed by the first round on October 30th and 31st. Second round games are scheduled for November 6th and 7th, with quarterfinal matchups taking place November 13th and 14th. The semifinals will be held November 20th and 21st.

The 2026 IHSA Football State Finals are set for November 27th and 28th at Hancock Stadium on the campus of Illinois State University, located in Normal.

The nine-week regular season will determine the playoff field, with all 384 postseason qualifiers set to be announced during a statewide live selection show at 9 PM on Saturday, October 17th.

Fans can now begin following their favorite schools and conferences as teams prepare for the start of another Illinois high school football season.

For more details, visit maxpreps.com or go to www.ihsa.org.