NORMAL, Ill. – Illinois State head soccer coach Raleigh DeRose has announced the Redbirds' 2026 schedule, which features 18 regular season matches and eight home contests at Adelaide Street Field.
"We are excited to release this year's schedule," said DeRose. "We have the opportunity to compete against some of the strongest teams in the Midwest, and we're looking forward to those challenges."
The Redbirds open exhibition play on Aug. 5 against Heartland CC before traveling to DePaul on Aug. 9 for their final preseason tune-up. Illinois State begins the regular season at home on Aug. 12 against Northern Illinois before beginning a four-match stretch that includes road contests at Lindenwood, Northwestern and Loyola, along with a home matchup against UT Martin.
The nonconference slate continues in early September with home matches against Saint Louis and Purdue Fort Wayne and road trips to Eastern Illinois and Western Illinois.
"Every team on our schedule brings unique strengths and abilities, providing valuable opportunities for growth and competition," said DeRose. "These matchups will test us, push us to improve and help us prepare for the demands of our conference season."
Illinois State will return to Missouri Valley Conference play on Sept. 20 at Murray State after advancing to the MVC Tournament championship match in 2025. The Redbirds finished fourth in the MVC standings last season and made a run to the conference tournament title game, recording postseason victories over Southern Illinois and Drake before falling to UIC in penalties.
The Redbirds are set to play nine conference matches this season, hosting UNI on Oct. 4, Belmont on Oct. 15, Indiana State on Oct. 18 and Valparaiso on Nov. 5 at Adelaide Street Field. Illinois State will travel to Murray State on Sept. 20, UIC on Sept. 27, Southern Illinois on Oct. 10, Evansville on Oct. 25 and Drake on Nov. 1 during Valley play.
The 2026 MVC Tournament is scheduled for Nov. 8-15, with locations and match times to be announced at a later date.
GoRedbirds.com and the Illinois State Redbirds App: Your sources for Illinois State tickets, Weisbecker Athletic Fund gifts, multimedia, Redbird merchandise, photos and more.
