Next season, the Illinois high school football playoffs will undergo significant changes, expanding the number of playoff teams from 32 to 48 in each of its eight classes. This decision, made by member schools of the Illinois High School Association (IHSA), will take effect starting with the 2026 season. The overall playoff participants will rise from 256 to 384.
In order to accommodate this increase, regular-season games will commence one week earlier on August 20. Teams will also begin their practice sessions on August 10, 2026, although the IHSA has decided to eliminate the Week Zero scrimmage from the schedule.
Craig Anderson, the executive director of the IHSA, expressed optimism about the expansion, stating, “Too often throughout the years, football decisions have negatively impacted other sports at IHSA schools. We are hopeful that this football playoff expansion will provide intended relief to our schools by stabilizing conference movement and eliminating the difficulty of scheduling football games that many of our schools face each year. It may create some short-term complications for some schools, conferences, and coaches, but we remain optimistic it will create long-term stability in football and beyond.”
The vote for the expansion received approval from the IHSA membership by a margin of 377-252, with 96 schools abstaining from the vote. Additionally, during its annual by-law referendum process, the membership approved 11 other amendments.
Among the significant changes are an expansion of the IHSA Board of Directors from 11 to 15 elected members, with the new seats designated for superintendents and heads of schools. Furthermore, cooperative sports teams comprising 3,500 students or more will no longer be eligible for state series team awards.
The IHSA”s no-contact period during the summer will shift from early August to the week of July 4, starting this summer. Students will be permitted to take part in two non-school competitions during the high school season in that sport, and a third non-school competition is allowed if sanctioned by the respective National Governing Body.
Schools will also have the opportunity to organize one free football combine for up to 20 students. The start of the softball season will be moved up by one week in 2026, allowing practice to begin on February 23 and games to commence on March 9.
In related news, the Darlington High School football team, which recently won the Wisconsin Division 6 state championship, received recognition for its sportsmanship during the fall sports tournament series. The WIAA named Cochrane-Fountain City the recipient of the football sportsmanship award.
In addition, the Green Bay Packers have announced that the Field of Dreams in Dyersville, Iowa, will be one of the stops on their “Packers Tailgate Tour” this spring. This event, hosted by NAMI Dubuque, will take place on April 16 from 4 PM to 8:30 PM, featuring current and former Packers players.
