Illinois Softball Unveils 2026 Schedule
January 12, 2026 | Softball
NEWS
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — Head coach Tyra Perry announced the complete 2026 spring schedule for Illinois softball on Monday evening, which includes 20 games hosted at Eichelberger Field. The full schedule can be found online here.
Schedule Notes
- Season opener on Feb. 6 at the Tiger Classic (Baton Rouge, La.) against Lamar
- Four Big Ten Home Series: Iowa, Northwestern, UCLA, Penn State
- Four Big Ten Away Series: Minnesota, Michigan State, Maryland, Indiana
- 20 total home games at Eichelberger Field
- Home-opening series March 13-15 against Iowa
- 56 total games on the 2026 slate
- Television schedules to be announced at a later date
- All scheduled games are subject to change
The Illini open with five straight weeks on the road, starting the 2026 season at LSU, head coach Tyra Perry's alma mater, for the Tiger Classic, Feb. 6-8. The following weekend, the Illini head to Auburn for the War Eagle Classic, Feb. 12-14, before heading to the Raleigh Times, hosted by N.C. State, Feb. 20-22.
The final two weekends of the tournament slate will be spent in Kentucky, at the Hilltopper Spring Classic in Bowling Green and the Cardinal Classic, hosted in Louisville.
The Illini open their home slate and Big Ten schedule March 13-15 against Iowa. The team's initial stretch at Eichelberger Field extends for six more games, with a doubleheader against Missouri on March 18, a conference series against Northwestern March 20-22, and a midweek matchup versus Northern Iowa on March 24.
The Orange and Blue face the first road series of conference action with a trip to Minneapolis, Minnesota to take on the Gophers, March 27-29, before finishing the month with a March 31 game against in-state foe, Illinois State.
April 3-5, Illinois heads to East Lansing, Michigan, for a three-game series against Michigan State, before hosting Western Illinois (April 7), UCLA (April 10-12), and SEMO (April 15) in Urbana. The second road series of the month sends the Illini to College Park, Maryland, for three games against the Terrapins, April 17-19.
Illinois concludes its home schedule with five games at Eichelberger Field, tackling Indiana State (April 21), Penn State for its final Big Ten home series (April 24-26), and Valparaiso (April 29).
The final Illinois series of the regular season will take place in Bloomington, Indiana, against the Hoosiers, May 1-3. The 2026 campaign marks the 27th season of Illinois softball.
