The Illinois State Redbirds have added the St. Francis (Ill.) Fighting Saints to their 2026 football schedule, according to an official announcement from the school Thursday.
Illinois State will host St. Francis at Hancock Stadium in Normal, Ill., on Saturday, August 29, 2026, which is Week Zero this season. The game will mark the fourth overall meeting between the two schools on the gridiron.
Illinois State and St. Francis first met on the gridiron in 1991. In the most recent matchup in 1998, the Redbirds defeated the Fighting Saints 47-3 to extend their advantage in the series to 3-0.
St. Francis (Ill.) is a member of the Mid-States Football Association (MSFA) in the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA). The Fighting Saints finished the 2025 season 3-7 overall and 1-4 in conference action.
In other non-conference action this fall, Illinois State travels to face Western Illinois on September 5 and Northern Illinois on September 12 before hosting Eastern Illinois on September 19.
Illinois State plays its first Missouri Valley Football Conference (MVFC) contest of the season on September 26 on the road against Northern Iowa. Other road opponents include Southern Illinois, North Dakota, and Youngstown State. The Redbirds will host MVFC foes South Dakota State, Indiana State, Murray State, and South Dakota.
