The Illinois High School Association is expanding its state football playoffs by 128 teams next season. That means 16 teams will be added to each of the eight playoff classes.
Previously, there were 32 teams in the playoffs in each of the eight classes.
The top 16 teams in each class will get a bye in the first round of the playoffs.
The new schedule will also move the start of the season up by a week.
The season will begin on August 10th with the first games on August 20th. This will eliminate the Week Zero scrimmage.
“Too often throughout the years, football decisions have negatively impacted other sports at IHSA schools,” said IHSA Executive Director Craig Anderson. ” 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.”
December 16, 2025
