Illinois: fall 2026 tryout and season start dates
Every date below comes from IHSA publications, named and linked under each table. Nothing here is estimated - a date we could not verify is not on this page.
The IHSA citation below is football-specific. Volleyball dates ship here the day they can be cited to an IHSA publication.
Football
| Milestone | Date |
|---|---|
| First practice (new IHSA start date) | Aug 5, 2026 |
| First games | Aug 20, 2026 |
Source: IHSA official announcement.
How to verify your local tryout
Ask the athletic director. School tryout dates live with the school, not the state - the association sets the first day anything is allowed to happen, and your school picks its days after that.
Check the association calendar. The source links above are the association's own publications - if a date on this page ever disagrees with the association, the association is right and we want to know about it.
For club volleyball, check your region. USA Volleyball regions publish binding tryout and signing dates for club seasons - your region's site is the authority.
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