Galesburg, Western Illinois high school football schedules for 2026 season

High school football season has almost arrived in Western Illinois, and at a faster pace than ever before.

With a new IHSA playoff structure, teams will begin practice at their earliest date in 2026. It means Friday Night Lights will soon follow.

IHSA teams start their practices on Aug. 5, with games allowed to be played Aug. 20-22 for Week 1. The nine-week regular season ends in mid-October, with the playoffs culminating on Thanksgiving weekend for state championships.

In the IHSA, Western Big 6 teams Galesburg and Geneseo could have a hole in their schedule after Alleman decided not to field a varsity program.

Five schools in this part of the state will again compete in the 8-Man Association. Their season plays nine games over 10 weeks before a playoff bracket.

Here are the schedules found online for this year's season in Fulton, Hancock, Henderson, Henry, Knox, McDonough, Mercer, Stark and Warren counties.

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IHSA 11-man football schedules for Western Illinois

Galesburg 

Aug. 21 at Dunlap 

Aug. 28 vs. Bartonville Limestone 

Sept. 4 at United Township

Sept. 11 TBA  

Sept. 18 vs. Sterling 

Sept. 25 at Geneseo 

Oct. 2 vs. Quincy 

Oct. 9 at Rock Island 

Oct. 16 vs. Moline

Geneseo 

Aug. 21 at Davenport Assumption  

Aug. 28 vs. Rochelle 

Sept. 4 at Rock Island 

Sept. 11 vs. Moline 

Sept. 18 at United Township 

Sept. 25 vs. Galesburg 

Oct. 2 at Sterling 

Oct. 9 Off  

Oct. 16 vs. Quincy

Abingdon-Avon 

Aug. 21 vs. West Hancock 

Aug. 28 at Annawan-Wethersfield 

Sept. 4 at Bureau Valley 

Sept. 11 vs. Farmington 

Sept. 18 at Monmouth United 

Sept. 25 vs. LVC 

Oct. 2 at Havana 

Oct. 9 at Rushville-Industry 

Oct. 16 vs. South Fulton

Annawan-Wethersfield 

Aug. 21 vs. Elmwood-Brimfield 

Aug. 28 vs. Abingdon-Avon 

Sept. 4 at Farmington 

Sept. 11 at Rushville-Industry 

Sept. 18 vs. Knoxville 

Sept. 25 at Stark County 

Oct. 2 at Princeville 

Oct. 9 vs. Bureau Valley 

Oct. 16 vs. ROWVA-Williamsfield

Canton 

Aug. 21 at Herscher 

Aug. 28 vs. Taylorville 

Sept. 4 at Morton 

Sept. 11 vs. Dunlap 

Sept. 18 at East Peoria 

Sept. 25 vs. Bartonville Limestone 

Oct. 2 vs. Pekin 

Oct. 9 at Metamora 

Oct. 16 vs. Washington 

Farmington  

Aug. 21 at Havana 

Aug. 28 vs. Stark County 

Sept. 4 vs. Annawan-Wethersfield 

Sept. 11 at Abingdon-Avon 

Sept. 18 vs. Elmwood-Brimfield 

Sept. 25 at Macomb 

Oct. 2 at Illini West  

Oct. 9 at Seneca 

Oct. 16 vs. West Hancock    

Illini West

Aug. 21 vs. Princeville

Aug. 28 at Monmouth United

Sept. 4 vs. ROWVA-Williamsfield

Sept. 11 at South Fulton

Sept. 18 vs. West Hancock

Sept. 25 at Elmwood-Brimfield

Oct. 2 vs. Farmington

Oct. 9 at Macomb

Oct. 17 at Gibson City-Melvin-Sibley

Kewanee HS 

Aug. 21 at Rockridge 

Aug. 28 vs. Newman Central Catholic 

Sept. 4 at Erie-Prophetstown 

Sept. 11 at Sherrard 

Sept. 18 vs. Mendota 

Sept. 25 vs. Princeton 

Oct. 2 at Hall 

Oct. 9 vs. Monmouth-Roseville 

Oct. 16 vs. Riverdale  

Knoxville 

Aug. 21 at Macomb 

Aug. 28 vs. Rushville-Industry 

Sept. 4 vs. West Hancock 

Sept. 11 at LVC 

Sept. 18 at Annawan-Wethersfield 

Sept. 25 vs. Princeville  

Oct. 2 at ROWVA-Williamsfield  

Oct. 9 at Stark County 

Oct. 16 vs. Bureau Valley

LVC (Lewiston-North Fulton)

Aug. 21 vs. ROWVA-Williamsfield

Aug. 28 at Macomb

Sept. 4 at Elmwood-Brimfield

Sept. 11 vs. Knoxville

Sept. 19 vs. South Fulton

Sept. 25 at Abingdon-Avon

Oct. 2 vs. Monmouth United

Oct. 9 at Havana

Oct. 16 vs. Rushville-Industry

Macomb 

Aug. 21 vs. Knoxville 

Aug. 28 vs. LVC 

Sept. 4 at Rushville-Industry 

Sept. 11 at Stark County 

Sept. 18 vs. Highland 

Sept. 25 vs. Farmington 

Oct. 2 at West Hancock 

Oct. 9 vs. Illini West 

Oct. 16 at Elmwood-Brimfield 

Mercer County 

Aug. 21 vs. Hall 

Aug. 28 at Princeton 

Sept. 4 vs. Monmouth-Roseville 

Sept. 11 at Rockridge 

Sept. 18 vs. Newman Central Catholic 

Sept. 25 vs. Riverdale 

Oct. 2 at Erie-Prophetstown 

Oct. 9 vs. Orion 

Oct. 16 at Sherrard 

Monmouth-Roseville 

Aug. 21 at Erie-Prophetstown 

Aug. 28 vs. Rockridge 

Sept. 4 at Mercer County 

Sept. 11 vs. Princeton 

Sept. 18 at Hall 

Sept. 25 at Mendota 

Oct. 2 vs. Sherrard 

Oct. 9 at Kewanee 

Oct. 16 vs. Orion 

Monmouth United 

Aug. 21 at Bureau Valley 

Aug. 28 vs. Carthage Illini West 

Sept. 4 vs. Stark County 

Sept. 11 at Elmwood-Brimfield

Sept. 18 vs. Abingdon-Avon 

Sept. 25 at Rushville-Industry 

Oct. 2 at LVC 

Oct. 9 vs. South Fulton 

Oct. 16 vs. Havana 

Orion 

Aug. 21 vs. Mendota 

Aug. 28 at Sherrard 

Sept. 4 vs. Hall 

Sept. 11 vs. Riverdale 

Sept. 18 at Erie-Prophetstown 

Sept. 25 at Newman Central Catholic 

Oct. 2 vs. Rockridge  

Oct. 9 at Mercer County 

Oct. 16 at Monmouth-Roseville

South Fulton

Aug. 21 at Stark County 

Aug. 28 at West Hancock

Sept. 4 vs. Princeville 

Sept. 11 vs. Carthage Illini West 

Sept. 19 at LVC 

Sept. 25 vs. Havana 

Oct. 2 vs. Rushville-Industry 

Oct. 9 at Monmouth United 

Oct. 16 at Abingdon-Avon

Stark County 

Aug. 21 vs. South Fulton

Aug. 28 at Farmington 

Sept. 4 at Monmouth United 

Sept. 11 vs. Macomb 

Sept. 18 at ROWVA-Williamsfield  

Sept. 25 vs. Annawan-Wethersfield 

Oct. 2 at Bureau Valley 

Oct. 9 vs. Knoxville 

Oct. 16 at Princeville  

ROWVA-Williamsfield 

Aug. 21 at LVC 

Aug. 28 vs. Elmwood-Brimfield 

Sept. 4 at Illini West

Sept. 11 vs. Havana 

Sept. 18 vs. Stark County 

Sept. 25 at Bureau Valley 

Oct. 2 vs. Knoxville 

Oct. 9 vs. Princeville 

Oct. 16 at Annawan-Wethersfield

West Hancock

Aug. 21 at Abingdon-Avon

Aug. 28 vs. South Fulton

Sept. 4 at Knoxville

Sept. 11 vs. Bureau Valley

Sept. 18 at Illini West

Sept. 25 vs. Scotland County (Missouri)

Oct. 2 vs. Macomb

Oct. 9 vs. Elmwood-Brimfield

Oct. 16 at Farmington

8-Man Football Association Schedules for Western Illinois

Biggsville West Central 

Aug. 21 vs. Flanagan-Woodland 

Aug. 28 at Blue Ridge 

Sept. 4 vs. Galva 

Sept. 11 at Peoria Heights 

Sept. 18 Off 

Sept. 25 vs. Bushnell-Prairie City 

Oct. 2 at West Prairie-Southeastern 

Oct. 9 vs. Ridgewood   

Oct. 16 vs. Champaign St. Thomas More 

Oct. 23 at Ashton-Franklin Center

Bushnell-Prairie City 

Aug. 21 at Polo 

Aug. 28 vs. Champaign St. Thomas More 

Sept. 4 vs. Peoria Heights 

Sept. 11 at West Prairie-Southeastern 

Sept. 18 at Galva 

Sept. 25 at Biggsville West Central 

Oct. 2 vs. Ridgewood 

Oct. 9 Off   

Oct. 16 vs. Blue Ridge 

Oct. 24 at Pawnee-Lincolnwood 

Galva 

Aug. 21 at Milledgeville 

Aug. 28 vs. St. Anne

Sept. 4 at Biggsville West Central 

Sept. 11 vs. Ridgewood 

Sept. 18 vs. Bushnell-Prairie City 

Sept. 25 at West Prairie-Southeastern 

Oct. 2 Off  

Oct. 9 at Peoria Heights 

Oct. 16 at Milford-Cissna Park 

Oct. 23 vs. Flanagan-Woodland

Ridgewood 

Aug. 21 at River Ridge 

Aug. 28 vs. Polo 

Sept. 4 at West Prairie-Southeastern 

Sept. 11 at Galva 

Sept. 18 Off  

Sept. 26 at Peoria Heights 

Oct. 2 at Bushnell-Prairie City 

Oct. 9 at Biggsville West Central  

Oct. 16 at Flanagan-Woodland 

Oct. 23 vs. South Fork-Edinburg

West Prairie-Southeastern 

Aug. 21 vs. Blue Ridge

Aug. 28 at Flanagan-Woodland

Sept. 4 vs. Ridgewood 

Sept. 11 vs. Bushnell-Prairie City

Sept. 18 vs. Peoria Heights 

Sept. 25 vs. Galva

Oct. 2 at Biggsville West Central

Oct. 9 Off

Oct. 16 at Amboy

Oct. 23 vs. Unity Christian 

This article originally appeared on Galesburg Register-Mail: Galesburg, Western Illinois high school football schedules for 2026 season