Football players at Downers Grove North and across Illinois will hit the field five days earlier than their classmates this August, thanks to a statewide calendar change tied to the IHSA's expanded playoff format.
The first official football practice is set for Wednesday, August 5. All other fall sports — boys and girls cross country, boys soccer, girls volleyball, boys and girls golf, and girls tennis — begin practice on Monday, August 10, according to the IHSA calendar and Downers Grove North's incoming-student information page.
Why football moved up
The Illinois High School Association voted in February to push football's start date one week earlier. The change accommodates a new 128-team, eight-class playoff bracket that adds a week to the postseason. Member schools approved the shift 290-245, with 67 abstaining.
IHSA executive director Craig Anderson said in a February press release that the outcome "is in the best interest of student-athlete safety" and "provides scheduling clarity for teams, coaches and student-athletes ahead of the 2026 season." Football teams must complete 12 on-field sessions of at least 90 minutes each before their first game, which may be played as early as Wednesday, August 20.
Key dates for other fall sports
First-contest windows vary by sport:
- Boys and girls golf: Thursday, August 13
- Girls tennis: Thursday, August 20
- Boys soccer, girls volleyball, boys and girls cross country: Monday, August 24
The IHSA fall sport entry deadline is Sunday, August 30.
What parents need to do before day one
Student-athletes in grades 10-12 must have a current IHSA Pre-Participation Physical Evaluation form on file in the athletic office before tryouts or practices begin. The physical is valid for 395 days from the exam date and must be completed by a licensed physician, nurse practitioner, or physician assistant. Freshmen may use a standard health exam instead of the IHSA form.
Both a parent or guardian signature and the student-athlete's signature are required on the history section before the provider appointment.
Registration at DGN
At Downers Grove North, families register for athletic teams through the Snap platform at schools.snap.app/Trojans. Registration must be completed by a parent or guardian on a laptop, tablet, or computer — not a phone. DGN's freshman orientation is scheduled for Tuesday, August 11, one day after non-football practices begin.
The same IHSA start dates apply at Downers Grove South and Westmont High School. Families at those schools should check south.csd99.org/athletics and cusd201.org for school-specific registration and tryout details.
Sport-specific tryout schedules with exact times and locations are typically posted in late July through athletic department websites and the Snap registration portal.
