Illinois' 2026 high school football postseason has already delivered a ton of excitement.
Playoff action in the Prairie State kicked off two weeks ago, and last week provided an all-time classic first-round matchup.
In a wild game that included a fourth-quarter venue change in Chicago, No. 9 Quincy Senior High School knocked off No. 8 Sarah E. Goode STEM Academy 88-84 on Friday, Oct. 30. The game was a record-setter in total points in IHSA history.
While a high-scoring affair like last week's is not likely, moving into Round 2 should provide some closer matchups as the playoffs heat up.
Here's what you need to know about the Illinois football playoffs, including when it starts and how to watch:
Watch Illinois high school football playoffs live on
NFHS Network
When do Illinois high school football playoffs start?
The 2026 Illinois high school football playoffs kicked off on Oct. 23-24 with the Opening Round. First-round action was played last week, on Oct. 30-31.
How to watch Illinois high school football playoff games
Illinois high school football playoff games can be streamed on the NFHS Network.
Which Illinois high school football teams are ranked nationally?
East St. Louis is the only Illinois school to reside inside the USA TODAY Sports Super 25 heading into Week 12 of the high school football season.
However, two additional teams to watch in the playoffs are Lincoln Way-East (Frankfort, IL) and Brother Rice (Chicago, IL), which are both inside the Midwest Super 15 region.
Another team to keep an eye on is Mount Carmel, which was inside the preseason Super 25 for USA TODAY Sports. The Caravan are defending a four-peat in the IHSA 8A championships.
ALL-USA players to watch
Here's a look at some players included in the ALL-USA Midwest Region midseason team to watch in the Illinois state football playoffs:
- First-team offensive flex: Ronnie Gomiller, East St. Louis (IL), Sr.
- First-team defensive lineman: Kameron McGee, Brother Rice (Chicago, IL), Jr.
- First-team defensive lineman: Dareion Prescott, Bolingbrook (Bolingbrook, IL), Jr.
- First-team linebacker: Roman Igwebuike, Mount Carmel (Chicago, IL), Sr.
- First-team cornerback: Raheem Floyd, East St. Louis (IL), Sr.
- First-team defensive flex: Tavares Harrington, Mount Carmel (Chicago, IL), Sr.
The rest of the team can be found here.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Illinois high school football playoffs: Dates, brackets, schedule
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