Illinois Swim and Dive Announces 2026-27 Schedule
July 30, 2026 | Swimming & Diving
NEWS
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — Illinois swim and dive head coach Jeana Kempe announced the program's full 2026-27 schedule on Friday morning.
The annual Orange and Blue intrasquad meet will be held on September 26 at the ARC Pool.
The Fighting Illini then kick off the regular season at home on October 2 against Purdue, and continue the homestand when they take on Iowa State October 16-17. October 17 will also serve as the squad's senior day.
The Orange and Blue hit the road to face Arkansas and Texas A&M on November 7 before returning to the Hawkeye Invite for the third straight year, November 17-20, in Iowa City, Iowa. In 2025, the Fighting Illini finished fourth of nine squads at the midseason event and Sara Jass capped off the meet with a new school record in the 200 breaststroke (2:12.90).
The squad splits up to start December, as part of the team will travel to the US Open in Austin, Texas, from December 4-6, while the other half of the squad welcomes Indiana State to the ARC Pool on December 5. The Orange and Blue divers will also compete at the USA Diving Winter Nationals in December.
On January 9, the Illini's home slate concludes with the annual House of Paign Invite, as Illinois hosts Marquette, Eastern Illinois, Illinois State, and Toledo. After hosting Iowa and Nebraska in 2025, Illinois heads to Lincoln, Nebraska, for a meet against both schools, January 15-16.
February begins with a meet at Wisconsin February 5-6, before the Orange and Blue head to the 2026 Big Ten Championships from February 17-20. The Big Ten Championships will be held in Iowa City, Iowa, with qualifiers advancing to the NCAA Swimming and Diving Championships in Austin, Texas, from March 17-20. In 2025, Chloe Diner set new school records in the 100 butterfly and 100 breaststroke, while Sophia Paduano earned a new school record in the 50 backstroke.
The NCAA Zone C Diving Championships will be hosted by Purdue in West Lafayette, Indiana, from March 7-9, with top performers also advancing to the NCAA Swimming and Diving Championships.
The Fighting Illini look to build on a strong 2025-26 campaign, that included a perfect 6-0 start, 48 top-ten program marks, 60 event winners, 91 personal bests, and four new school records.
| 2026-27 Swim and Dive Schedule | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Day | Date and Time (CT) | Opponent | Location |
| Sat. | Sept. 26 | Orange vs. Blue Intrasquad | ARC Pool |
| Fri. | Oct. 2 (5 p.m.) | Purdue | ARC Pool |
| Fri. | Oct. 16 ( 5 p.m.) | Iowa State Cyclones | ARC Pool |
| Sat. | Oct. 17 (11 a.m.) Senior Day | Iowa State Cyclones | ARC Pool |
| Sat. | Nov. 7 (TBA) | Arkansas, Texas A&M | Bentonville, Ark. |
| Tues.- Fri. | Nov. 17-20 (All Day) | Hawkeye Invite | Iowa City, Iowa |
| Fri.-Sun. | Dec. 4-6 (All Day) | US Open | Austin, Texas |
| Sat. | Dec. 5 (Noon) | Indiana State | ARC Pool |
| Sat.-Sun. | Dec. 11-12 (All Day) | USA Diving Nationals | Midland, Texas |
| Sat. | Jan. 9 (Noon) House of Paign Invite | Marquette, Eastern Illinois, Illinois State, Toledo | ARC Pool |
| Fri.-Sat. | Jan. 15-16 ( 5 p.m. / 10 a.m.) | Iowa and Nebraska | Lincoln, Neb. |
| Fri.-Sat. | Feb. 5-6 (All Day) | Wisconsin First Chance | Madison, Wis. |
| Wed.-Sat. | Feb. 17-20 (All Day) | Big Ten Championships | Iowa City, Iowa |
| Sun.-Tues. | March 7-9 | NCAA Zone C Diving Championships | West Lafayette, Ind. |
| Thurs.-Sun. | March 11-13 | CSCAA NIC Championships | Ocala, Fla. |
| Wed.-Sat. | March 17-20 | NCAA Swimming and Diving Championships | Austin, Texas |
| * All dates and times are subject to change | |||
