JOLIET, Ill. -- The University of St. Francis football team will open its 2026 campaign on the road on Aug. 29 when it faces NCAA Division I and 2025 national runner-up Illinois State University at Hancock Stadium in Normal, Ill.  The contest will mark the fourth meeting between the two squads since their first faceoff in 1998.

In all, the Saints will play eleven regular-season games this fall with five home games and six road contests listed on the docket.

USF will follow its season opener with back-to-back home dates with a Sept. 5 faceoff against No.10 Indiana Wesleyan University and a Sept. 12 homecoming contest versus Taylor University (Ind.).  Head coach Joe Curry's club then hits the road again on Sept. 19 and Oct. 3 when it takes on Lawrence Tech University (Mich.) and University of Saint Francis (Ind.), respectively.  The Saints then wrap up the non-conference portion of their schedule when they host Defiance College (Ohio) on Oct. 10.

St. Francis opens Mid-States Football Association Midwest conference play the following week in October at Judson University on Oct. 17 before it heads to Chicago to face Saint Xavier University on Oct. 24.  Three more conference games follow each of the next three Saturdays with home matchups against No.15-ranked Marian University (Oct. 31) and Olivet Nazarene University (Nov. 7) before USF concludes its regular season on the road with a showdown versus first year league member Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College (Ind.) on Nov. 14.

The Saints finished 3-7 overall in 2025 with a 1-4 conference record one year ago.

For the complete USF football schedule, go to Schedule.

You can keep up with everything happening around USF Athletics on X @USFSaints.