2026 High School Football Schedule Released For OLCHS

OAK LAWN, IL—The Illinois High School Association and MaxPreps have released the 2026 high school football schedules for the upcoming fall season.

The nine-week regular season begins with Week 1 games scheduled for Aug. 21 and Aug. 22. The season culminates with the IHSA Football State Finals on Nov. 27-28 at Hancock Stadium on the campus of Illinois State University in Normal.

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The postseason will have a significantly different look this year after IHSA member schools voted to expand the football playoffs for the first time since 1985.

Each of the eight classes will have 48 playoff qualifiers, up from 32. The change expands the total field from 256 to 384 teams.

To maintain historical consistency in the number of teams competing in each stage, the playoff rounds will be called the Opening Round, First Round, Second Round, Quarterfinals and Semifinals.

The 2026 playoff schedule is:

• Opening Round: Oct. 23-24
• First Round: Oct. 30-31
• Second Round: Nov. 6-7
• Quarterfinals: Nov. 13-14
• Semifinals: Nov. 20-21
• State Finals: Nov. 27-28

The 384 playoff qualifiers will be revealed during a live statewide telecast at 9 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 17.

In Oak Lawn, fans will especially be keeping tabs on crosstown rival Richards High School, as well as the Catholic high schools Marist, St. Lawrence, Brother Rice, St. Rita and Mount Carmel.

Ryan Pattison returns as the head coach of the Oak Lawn Spartans football team, which finished the 2025 season with a 7-3 overall record (6A).

This fall, OLCHS will compete in the South Suburban Conference (Red) alongside Evergreen Park, Richards, Shepard, Eisenhower, Reavis and Argo.

The Oak Lawn Spartans open the 2026 season this Friday, Aug. 21, on the road in a non-conference game against the Wheeling Wildcats.

Locally, Oak Lawn Community High School's home opener at Napleton Field will be at 6 p.m. Friday, Aug. 28, against the Thornridge Falcons, according to the IHSA and MaxPreps.

Here is a look at the 2026 schedule for OLCHS, courtesy of MaxPreps:

• Aug. 21 - 7:30 p.m. Friday, Wheeling vs. Oak Lawn, non-conference (away)
• Aug. 28 - 6 p.m. Oak Lawn vs. Thornridge, non-conference (home)
• Sept. 4 - 7 p.m. Friday, OLCHS vs. Reavis, conference (home)
• Sept. 11 - 7 p.m. Friday, OLCHS v. Argo, conference (home)
• Sept. 18 - 7 p.m. Friday, Shepard vs. OLCHS, conference (away)
• Sept. 25 - 6:30 p.m. Friday, EPCHS vs. OLCHS, conference (away)
• Oct. 2 - 7 p.m. Friday, Richards vs. OLCHS v. Evergreen Park, conference (home)
• Oct. 9 - 7 p.m. Friday, OLCHS v. Eisenhower, conference (home)
• Oct. 16 - 7 p.m. Friday, Lemont vs. OLCHS, non-conference (away)

~ Patch editor Eric DeGrechie contributed to this report.