The field is smaller. The road to Normal is about to get tougher.

Illinois' expanded 2026 high school football playoffs completed their opening weekend Oct. 23–24, sending 128 winners into matchups with teams that earned byes. Across eight classifications, the chase now leads toward Thanksgiving weekend at Hancock Stadium on the campus of Illinois State University.

The first weekend brought its share of close calls. Buffalo Grove edged Andrew 28-27 in Class 7A, Stillman Valley slipped past Reed-Custer 32-31 in Class 2A and Althoff Catholic survived Harrisburg 13-12 in Class 3A. Orion also advanced by a point, beating LeRoy 21-20 in Class 1A.

Next comes the Oct. 30–31 First Round, when all remaining teams take the field. The IHSA's terminology matters this season: the Oct. 23–24 games were the Opening Round, followed by the First Round and Second Round before the quarterfinals.

Below are High School On SI's bracket links for all eight classifications, every completed opening-round score and the remaining postseason schedule. This guide will be updated as additional rounds are completed.

Illinois Football State Championship Dates and Location

The eight IHSA football championship games will be played at Hancock Stadium, Illinois State University, Normal, on Friday, Nov. 27, and Saturday, Nov. 28.

Classes 1A through 4A play Friday. Classes 5A through 8A play Saturday. All kickoff times below are Central.

The championship dates, site and kickoff times are listed on the IHSA's official tournament brackets.

2026 IHSA Football Playoff Schedule

Each classification began with 48 qualifiers. Sixteen teams in each class received an opening-round bye, while the other 32 played for 16 spots in the First Round.

In Classes 1A through 6A, the top eight seeds in each 24-team half received byes. Classes 7A and 8A were seeded statewide from 1 through 48, with the top 16 receiving byes.

Only the Opening Round has been completed. The results below cover Oct. 23–24; scores from subsequent rounds will be added after those games are played.

Class 8A: Bracket and Round-by-Round Scores

Naperville Central advanced with an 18-14 win over Warren. Marist's victory over Neuqua Valley set up a First Round meeting with Mount Carmel, while Minooka earned a matchup with Loyola Academy.

Opening Round — Oct. 23–24

• Oak Park-River Forest 58, East Aurora 7
• Hinsdale Central 41, Lake Park 19
• Marist 49, Neuqua Valley 28
• Barrington 38, Waubonsie Valley 0
• Naperville Central 18, Warren 14
• Fremd 42, Chicago Taft 12
• Lockport 35, Stevenson 21
• Lyons Township 36, Metea Valley 14
• Oswego East 49, Chicago Curie 8
• Lane Tech 56, Joliet Central 0
• Glenbrook South 42, Whitney Young 0
• Conant 21, Dundee-Crown 12
• Minooka 35, Evanston 21
• York 47, Bloom Township 14
• O'Fallon 36, Joliet West 6
• West Aurora 40, Leyden 21

Next round: First Round, Oct. 30–31.

State championship: Nov. 28, 7 p.m. Central, Hancock Stadium, Normal.

Class 7A: Bracket and Round-by-Round Scores

Buffalo Grove beat Andrew 28-27, Moline held off Benet Academy 42-38 and DePaul College Prep defeated Hampshire 37-34. Edwardsville's shutout of Lincoln Park set up a trip to top-seeded Normal Community.

Opening Round — Oct. 23–24

• Edwardsville 42, Chicago Lincoln Park 0
• Glenbard East 42, Bartlett 14
• St. Charles North 54, McHenry 6
• Lincoln-Way Central 53, Rockford Jefferson 12
• Reavis 31, Elgin 28
• Chicago St. Patrick 54, Collinsville 37
• DePaul College Prep 37, Hampshire 34
• Zion-Benton 44, Glenbrook North 0
• Yorkville 41, Palatine 14
• Moline 42, Benet Academy 38
• St. Laurence 25, Belleville East 16
• Lincoln-Way West 42, Mundelein 14
• West Chicago 48, Chicago Prosser 24
• Buffalo Grove 28, Andrew 27
• Glenbard North 34, Hoffman Estates 20
• Niles North 48, Rich Township 41

Next round: First Round, Oct. 30–31.

State championship: Nov. 28, 4 p.m. Central, Hancock Stadium, Normal.

Class 6A: Bracket and Round-by-Round Scores

Rolling Meadows advanced past Addison Trail by eight points. Nazareth Academy, Joliet Catholic and Chatham Glenwood were among the other opening-round winners.

Opening Round — Oct. 23–24

• St. Charles East 42, Elk Grove 21
• Burlington Central 41, Rockford East 10
• Muchin College Prep 18, UIC College Prep 0
• Notre Dame (Niles) 44, Maine West 0
• Carmel (Mundelein) 38, Bulls College Prep 20
• Rolling Meadows 34, Addison Trail 26
• Willowbrook 42, Chicago Amundsen 6
• Highland Park 35, Streamwood 14
• East Moline United 24, Champaign Central 3
• Quincy 41, Thornton Fractional South 7
• Nazareth Academy 44, Shepard 14
• Chicago Simeon 36, Chicago Lindblom 11
• Chatham Glenwood 50, Chicago Brooks 6
• Thornton 43, Peoria Richwoods 21
• Thornwood 27, Plainfield East 14
• Joliet Catholic 44, Bradley-Bourbonnais 3

Next round: First Round, Oct. 30–31.

State championship: Nov. 28, 1 p.m. Central, Hancock Stadium, Normal.

Class 5A: Bracket and Round-by-Round Scores

Washington won a seven-point game against Mascoutah, while LaSalle-Peru advanced with an eight-point victory over Galesburg. St. Francis opened with a 61-6 win over Grayslake North.

Opening Round — Oct. 23–24

• Glenbard South 40, Chicago Payton 7
• Sycamore 48, Crystal Lake South 14
• Lakes 44, Chicago Senn 0
• Belvidere North 42, Freeport 29
• St. Francis 61, Grayslake North 6
• Prairie Ridge 45, Comer College Prep 12
• Deerfield 35, Grayslake Central 7
• Hinsdale South 49, Fenton 18
• Marion 40, Bloomington 7
• Chicago Corliss 18, Champaign Centennial 7
• Lemont 48, Peoria 6
• Washington 35, Mascoutah 28
• LaSalle-Peru 28, Galesburg 20
• Carbondale 27, Springfield 12
• Oak Forest 56, Danville 6
• Providence Catholic 49, Mount Vernon 13

Next round: First Round, Oct. 30–31.

State championship: Nov. 28, 10 a.m. Central, Hancock Stadium, Normal.

Class 4A: Bracket and Round-by-Round Scores

Jersey advanced with a 28-21 win over Peoria Notre Dame, Civic Memorial beat Quincy Notre Dame by four and Waterloo defeated Taylorville by six.

Opening Round — Oct. 23–24

• Tinley Park 20, Woodstock North 8
• Geneseo 42, North Chicago 14
• Marmion Academy 40, North Lawndale 0
• Hillcrest 63, Johnson College Prep 0
• Chicago Leo 26, Marengo 7
• Dixon 28, Plano 13
• Rochelle 51, Illinois Valley Central 6
• Aurora Central Catholic 49, Chicago Carver 8
• Civic Memorial 28, Quincy Notre Dame 24
• Decatur MacArthur 35, Effingham 14
• Jersey 28, Peoria Notre Dame 21
• Metamora 56, Alton Marquette 7
• Salem 26, Richland County 22
• Highland 56, Lincoln 12
• Waterloo 34, Taylorville 28
• Cahokia 47, East Peoria 0

Next round: First Round, Oct. 30–31.

State championship: Nov. 27, 7 p.m. Central, Hancock Stadium, Normal.

Class 3A: Bracket and Round-by-Round Scores

Althoff Catholic escaped Harrisburg by a point, Paris defeated Eureka by three and Genoa-Kingston won a five-point game against North Boone. Tolono Unity scored 70 in its opener.

Opening Round — Oct. 23–24

• Princeton 64, Chicago South Shore 20
• Manteno 62, Mendota 7
• Sandwich 57, Lisle 12
• Chicago Hope Academy 35, Monmouth-Roseville 14
• Prairie Central 44, Chicago Christian 20
• Pontiac 44, Chicago Dyett 26
• Genoa-Kingston 25, North Boone 20
• Marian Central Catholic 56, Kewanee 14
• Roxana 60, Massac County 23
• Olympia 56, Columbia 28
• Sparta 54, Breese Mater Dei 13
• Paris 16, Eureka 13
• Althoff Catholic 13, Harrisburg 12
• Tolono Unity 70, Robinson 16
• Greenville 28, PORTA 18
• Fairfield 32, Staunton 7

Next round: First Round, Oct. 30–31.

State championship: Nov. 27, 4 p.m. Central, Hancock Stadium, Normal.

Class 2A: Bracket and Round-by-Round Scores

Stillman Valley edged Reed-Custer 32-31 in one of the opening weekend's closest games. Carlinville held off Riverton, and Oregon advanced past Westville.

Opening Round — Oct. 23–24

• Eastland-Pearl City 42, Beardstown 14
• Illini West 48, West Hancock 6
• Bismarck-Henning-Rossville-Alvin 51, Chicago Marshall 14
• Farmington 22, Pleasant Plains 16
• Stillman Valley 32, Reed-Custer 31
• Warrensburg-Latham 42, Georgetown-Ridge Farm 19
• Winnebago 42, Elmwood-Brimfield 12
• Oregon 35, Westville 27
• Carlinville 35, Riverton 28
• Chester 55, Wesclin 14
• DuQuoin 35, Christopher-Zeigler-Royalton 0
• Hamilton County 38, Sangamon Valley 8
• Decatur St. Teresa 42, Piasa Southwestern 7
• Auburn 54, Jacksonville Routt 7
• Central A&M 48, Marshall 7
• Shelbyville 42, Carmi-White County 6

Next round: First Round, Oct. 30–31.

State championship: Nov. 27, 1 p.m. Central, Hancock Stadium, Normal.

Class 1A: Bracket and Round-by-Round Scores

Orion survived LeRoy by a point, while West Central advanced with a 40-8 victory over Sesser-Valier. Galena and Fulton each reached 70 points.

Opening Round — Oct. 23–24

• Galena 72, Chicago Orr 6
• Abingdon-Avon 49, Morrison 7
• Ottawa Marquette 42, Princeville 21
• Dwight 21, Bureau Valley 8
• Orion 21, LeRoy 20
• Lena-Winslow 46, Momence 12
• Newman Central Catholic 46, Tremont 6
• Fulton 70, Monmouth United 15
• Athens 48, Carrollton 14
• Oakwood 53, Pleasant Hill 12
• Havana 57, Triopia 28
• West Central 40, Sesser-Valier 8
• Red Hill 12, Cumberland 0
• Villa Grove 34, Dupo 0
• Carlyle 41, Nokomis 7
• Casey-Westfield 12, South Fulton 6

Next round: First Round, Oct. 30–31.

State championship: Nov. 27, 10 a.m. Central, Hancock Stadium, Normal.

How the Illinois Football Playoffs Continue

The Oct. 30–31 First Round cuts each classification from 32 teams to 16. Another round Nov. 6–7 will determine the quarterfinalists, with those games scheduled for Nov. 13–14.

The Nov. 20–21 semifinals will decide the 16 teams that reach Hancock Stadium. Four champions will be crowned Friday, Nov. 27, followed by four more Saturday, Nov. 28.

Keep checking the classification brackets above for updated matchups and results throughout the postseason.