2025 IHSA football schedule release: Filling nine games more problematic for some

The structure of IHSA football requires that teams be very careful with how one pieces its schedule together.

That becomes even more precarious for schools that find themselves a part of a power conference where their league games provide more than enough challenges in getting to the playoff qualifying standard.

That makes nonconference scheduling a slippery slope. Many of these programs often find a long list of schools unwilling to play them because of the fact that they too are trying to protect their paths to the playoffs as best they can.

It led to a larger list of schools that were looking for games deeper into the offseason than usual. And even now, a few of those schools have yet to secure at least one of their games on the regular season schedule.

One of the most notable schools among that group is the defending Class 8A state champion Loyola. The Ramblers have, as of this writing, yet to be able to secure a Week 2 opponent. They did manage to claim a Week 1 opponent as Merrillville Indiana has signed on to lock horns.

Other CCL/ESCC opponents also put together intriguing schedules in their nonconference slates. Perhaps the most interesting nonconference scheduled game in Week 1 is Mount Carmel. The defending Class 7A champs were defeated in last year’s foray into the out-of-state opponent pool in a loss to The Hun School but will try again against one of Ohio’s power program’s, Moeller.

The defending Class 3A champions, Montini, didn’t secure its week 1 matchup until this week and its a doozy. The Broncos will host Lumen Christi Catholic from Jackson, Michigan, to kick of its campaign. Montini had been without a Week 1 game and struggling to find one for months.

In all, seven CCL/ESCC schools will play out-of-state opponents in either Week 1 or Week 2, while 12 more of those schedule vacancies were filled with nonconference games against other CCL/ESCC foes.

That does not mean the state does not have some intriguing Week 1 scheduled games that pit two Illinois teams against one another: a list that includes Kankakee against Nazareth; Glenwood challenging Edwardsville; Maine South squaring off against Lincoln-Way East; and Batavia against Glenbard West.

Special commendation to the challenge undertaken by Kankakee in its nonconference schedule as it will follow up its Week 1 matchup with Nazareth with a trip to Lincoln-Way East.

But the most intriguing schedule in the state award once again goes to East St. Louis. Outside of the Flyers’ five Southwestern Conference games, East St. Louis has put together once of the strongest four-game nonconference slates in not only the state, but possibly the nation.

The Flyers will kick off the season with Bergen Catholic (New Jersey) and will follow that with contests against Gadsen County (Florida) and Bishop Gorman (Nevada) in the following two weeks. The Flyers will also cap its regular season with a Week 9 game against IMG Academy.

That foursome went a collective 41-6 last year with three of them (Bergen, Bishop Gorman, IMG) finishing inside the MaxPreps National Top 25.

Here’s a breakdown of where out-of-state opponents playing Illinois schools come from:

Most of the 493 playoff-eligible programs were able to fill their nine game schedules. Many of the schools that haven’t will be able to add a forfeit victory in lieu of the open week because of the relatively late decisions by both Lisle and Cerro Gordo to not play varsity football this season.

The number of playoff eligible programs has currently dropped just one from last season. In addition to the decisions made by Lisle and Cerro Gordo, Macon Meridian elected to join the 8-man ranks. Partially offsetting that loss is the return of Rock Island Alleman to the ranks of varsity football and Riverton’s return after a one-year respite.

That 493-playoff eligible team count is one more than the all-time low of 492 (2023), and two lower than last year’s count of 495.

Fifty-six Chicago Public League teams are eligible to qualify for the playoffs, but there are 24 teams in that group that have to do more than just reach the minimum win standard by either winning their division or winning a second-place playoff game to earn a spot.

As a result, fewer CPL teams will likely reach the playoff standard. That didn’t hold true last season as the new system produced 26 CPL playoff teams, which was the same exact number as the CPL entrants in 2023 – but that can be partially explained by the fact that 10 teams from the 16-team Red Division reached the standard including the state’s only four-win team that qualified, Kenwood.

All of those things in concert seem to lead to the window once again being open for the inclusion of four-win teams qualifying for the playoffs. But the range could end up being all over the map.

Seven schools were unable to fill all nine of their schedule slots. There are 13 more slots that are also open, but if those schools cannot find an opponent than they are eligible to claim forfeit victories because their originally scheduled opponent is not playing varsity football this season.

One school, Chicago Phillips, currently has two scheduled Week 2 opponents, DeKalb and Berwyn-Cicero Morton. The schools are trying to work out a solution currently.

The ranks of 8-man football has 33 programs scheduled to compete. 30 teams played full schedules last season and Macon Meridian is added to the mix after moving away from 11-man football. Rockford Christian is also starting a 8-man program after stepping away from 11-man football following the 2023 season, while Westminster Christian appears poised to make another attempt at getting its 8-man program off the ground.