ST. LOUIS – The Missouri Valley Football Conference (MVFC) announced its re-vamped league schedule for 2026 on Friday, following the departure of North Dakota State for the Mountain West Conference. Conference schedules for each league member changed from previously announced slates, with every school now playing each league member this season.
Illinois State, which is still looking for a 12th game to round out its 2026 schedule, will open the season against a familiar foe at Western Illinois on September 5. The two teams will meet for the 108th time but have not played since 2024 when the Leathernecks left the MVFC to move to the OVC-Big South Football Association.Â
The Redbirds will then travel north to DeKalb to take on Northern Illinois on September 12 to continue its in-state non-conference slate. ISU will then wrap up the non-conference portion of the schedule at home on September 19, when it hosts Eastern Illinois for the 114th Mid-America Classic as part of Family Weekend on campus.
Missouri Valley Football Conference action will begin the following week on September 26, when the Redbirds head to Cedar Falls, Iowa, to take on the UNI Panthers. That game will be followed by a return home to Hancock Stadium to host South Dakota State on October 3, before the Redbirds have a bye week on October 10. After the bye, the Redbirds will head south to Carbondale to take on longtime rival Southern Illinois on October 17. ISU will then start a two-game homestand on October 24 against Indiana State as part of Homecoming festivities, before hosting a Halloween game against Murray State the following week on October 31.
A road contest at North Dakota on November 7 will be next on the docket for ISU, which travels the following week to take on Youngstown State on November 14. The Redbirds will wrap up the regular season at home, when they host South Dakota on Senior Day at Hancock Stadium on November 21.
For season ticket information, visit GoRedbirds.com/Tickets or call the ISU Athletics Ticket Office at (309) 438-8000.
GoRedbirds.com and the Illinois State Redbirds App: Â Your sources for Illinois State tickets, Weisbecker Athletic Fund gifts, multimedia, Redbird merchandise, photos and more.
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