Hoffman Estates to host Glenbard North in Class 7A football playoff opener

Hoffman Estates has a home game to begin the 2026 Illinois High School Association Class 7A football playoffs. The No. 27 seed will host No. 38 Glenbard North in the opening round, with the winner moving on to play at No. 6 Jacobs.

Opening-round games are scheduled for Friday, Oct. 23, and Saturday, Oct. 24. Under the tournament rules, games take place on Saturday unless both schools agree to Friday. The supplied pairings do not specify a day or kickoff time for Hoffman Estates, so the opening-weekend dates are a planning window rather than a confirmed game appointment.

Class 7A has a 48-team field, with teams seeded from No. 1 through No. 48. The first 16 seeds skip the opening round, while the remaining teams compete for places alongside them in Round 1. That format gives Jacobs a bye while Hoffman Estates and Glenbard North play for the opportunity to advance.

For Hoffman Estates supporters, the opening matchup provides a chance to follow the team's postseason start at home. The higher seed hosts each opening-round game. After that, hosting priority goes to the school that has hosted fewer games during the current playoff series, with the higher seed serving as the tiebreaker when the totals are equal.

Elsewhere in the Class 7A opening round, No. 48 Bartlett is paired with No. 17 Glenbard East, and No. 33 Lincoln Park faces No. 32 Edwardsville. Those winners advance to games at No. 16 Kenwood and No. 1 Normal, respectively. Hoffman Estates and Glenbard North occupy a separate route through Jacobs.

The postseason continues at a pace of one round per week. The Class 7A championship is scheduled for Saturday, Nov. 28, at Hancock Stadium in Normal, the same day as the Class 5A, 6A and 8A finals. For now, Hoffman Estates' confirmed assignment is the opening home matchup, with later opponents dependent on results.