IHSA expands state football playoffs by 128 teams, moves the start of the season one week earlier

The Illinois High School Association state football playoffs will expand by 128 teams next season.

IHSA schools voted in favor of adding 16 teams to each of the eight playoff classes. There were previously 32 teams in the playoffs in each of the eight classes. That will expand to 48 next season. The new schedule moves the start of the season up one week and eliminates the Week 0 scrimmage.

The top 16 teams in each class will receive a bye in the first round of the playoffs.

The move passed with a sizable majority as 377 schools voted for the expansion, 252 voted against and 96 schools had no opinion.

The first day of football practice will remain the same. It is August 10 in 2026.

"Too often throughout the years, football decisions have negatively impacted other sports at IHSA schools,” IHSA Executive Director Craig Anderson said in a statement. " 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.”

Local football coaches are split on the move, which increases the total number of playoff teams from 256 to 384.

"I’m all for kids playing more football and getting more practices," Mount Carmel coach Jordan Lynch said. "But what about potential injury risk? There are some teams that have three wins that are not very good football teams. Some teams are already getting blown out in the first round. I would like it to get cut down to 7 classes instead of letting all these teams in."

Lynch pointed out that moving the start of the season up one week will help scheduling. The Illinois high school football schedule will now align with that of several neighboring states, including Indiana and Michigan.

Morgan Park coach Chris James thinks the expansion is a positive.

"It is a good idea," James said. "You will see more private schools get moved up to bigger classes now. We will compete and play against anybody, but I know that is a big issue around the state."

The playoff expansion will likely allow all football teams with three or four wins in the nine-game regular season to make the playoffs. Previously, all five-win and some four-win teams made the field. Every team advances to the playoffs in all other IHSA sports.

Sandburg coach Sheamus Murphy has experience at both ends of the high school football world. He helped build Back of the Yards' program from scratch.

"I’m not a huge fan of [expansion]," Murphy said. "What made the football playoffs so special was the idea that there was a qualification to be considered a playoff football team, which was a cool thing for the school and the community. But I do understand it from the perspective that we don’t need to worry about the drive for five wins anymore."

Many teams had trouble filling their schedules under the previous setup, which encouraged them to do everything possible to achieve five wins. Loyola, one of the state's top football programs, usually has to play an out-of-state opponent in Week 1 or 2 and was unable to schedule a Week 2 game this season.