The 2026 season marks the start of a new chapter of high school football in Illinois.
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The playoffs have been expanded, with 48 teams set to qualify in each of the eight classes. To make room for the extra postseason round on the schedule, the regular season is starting a week early.
Some teams — Eisenhower being the only one in the Southland — will open up with an Aug. 20 game while most of the state gets going Aug. 21.
With Wednesday marking the first day of practice across Illinois, here are 10 things to watch for the 2026 Southland football season.
1. Watch out for more playoff sleepers
With the updated postseason format, most or all teams that finish the regular season at 3-6 are likely to qualify, while some 2-7 teams could even sneak in.
A team like Marist, which finished 4-5 against a tough schedule in 2025 and missed the playoffs, will now get in and could be dangerous.
Don’t be surprised if an area team with only three or four wins makes some noise in the postseason.
2. The battle for the byes
While the new postseason may limit the regular-season excitement that came with teams racing to five wins to qualify, the biggest playoff push will now involve teams attempting to claim a top 16 seed in its class.
The top 16 teams in each class will receive a bye into the first round, while the remaining 32 teams will square off in the opening round. The Illinois High School Association is classifying the rounds as “opening round” and “first round” for record-keeping purposes, maintaining 32 teams qualifying for the first round in each class.
Teams that would have been right on the bubble for a bye last season included Oak Lawn, St. Laurence, Morgan Park and Providence.
Instead of one win being the difference in seeding alone, this season it will be the difference between getting a week off or playing an opening-round game.
3. Rinse and repeat?
Mount Carmel in Class 8A and Brother Rice in 7A certainly have the pieces to repeat the state championships they won in 2025.
The Caravan, looking for a fifth consecutive state title, is loaded with high-major talent in the senior class, including receiver Quentin Burrell (Michigan), defensive back Tavares Harrington (Michigan) and linebacker Roman Igwebuike (Notre Dame).
The Crusaders, coming off their first state championship since 1981, are dynamic on the defensive line with senior Brayden Parks (Notre Dame) and junior Kameron McGee.
4. Early season showdowns
One of the positives of the new playoff format is that it frees up teams to schedule tougher out-of-conference games without worrying about getting to five wins.
That has resulted in a loaded slate of area games to start the season. In Week 1, Brother Rice travels to Lincoln-Way East for an exciting battle of private vs. public powerhouses. St. Rita and Providence meet in a matchup of 2025 state runners-up.
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Then, there’s the matchup the whole state will be talking about — Mount Carmel vs. East St. Louis in Normal on the opening Saturday.
5. The end of an era at East
This season will be the final one for legendary Lincoln-Way East coach Rob Zvonar, whose planned retirement coincides with the graduation of his youngest son, Colton, a senior linebacker.
Zvonar is the only coach in program history, having led the Griffins to three state championships, three runner-up finishes, 12 seasons with at least 10 wins and playoff appearances in all 24 seasons that they have been held in his 25 years.
6. It all starts up front
The area is again loaded with linemen. In addition to Brother Rice’s Parks and McGee, look out for St. Rita’s Ohimai Ozolua (Michigan State), Homewood-Flossmoor’s David Hill (Wisconsin) and Mount Carmel’s Darin Graham (Wisconsin) on defense.
On the offensive line, Lemont’s Corey Laga (Vanderbilt) and Lincoln-Way East’s Mason Halliman (Illinois) lead the way.
7. The arms race
Many of the area’s top teams, including Mount Carmel, Brother Rice and Lincoln-Way East, will be debuting new quarterbacks, with the position being the biggest question mark for several top contenders.
Who are the top returning starters at quarterback? Providence junior Dominic Vita, Sandburg senior Sean Ruisz and H-F senior Rahsaan Coleman.
8. Prolific playmakers
The area is filled with players who you should never take your eyes off when the ball is in their hands. Mount Carmel’s Burrell and Marshaun Thornton, Sandburg’s Quinn Durkin (Army) and Lucas Matykiewicz (Northern Illinois) and Brother Rice’s Jack McNamara are top targets.
At running back, Providence’s Broden Mackert (Western Illinois), St. Rita’s Brandon Johnson Jr. (Lindenwood), Oak Lawn’s Jayden Schlosser and Oak Forest’s William McMaster can carry the load.
9. Locking it down
Top defenders I haven’t already mentioned? Look out for Morgan Park’s Darrell Mattison (Ole Miss) and Richards’ Pierre Ray in the secondary, along with St. Laurence’s Sean Rice (Illinois) and Joliet Catholic’s Derrick Pomatto at linebacker.
10. Will the title streak continue?
At least one Southland team has won a state championship in eight straight seasons. I don’t expect that to change.
With Mount Carmel and Brother Rice looking like powerhouses and several other contenders — Lincoln-Way East, Providence, St. Rita, a surprise team? — I anticipate multiple titles.