The Illinois Springfield Women's Soccer team is thrilled to announce its schedule for the 2026 season. With a blend of challenging non-conference matchups and competitive Great Lakes Valley Conference (GLVC) games, fans can expect a season filled with excitement and opportunities to support their team.

The Prairie Stars will take the field before the regular season with four preseason scrimmages and exhibitions, including two opportunities for fans to see the team at Kiwanis Stadium. UIS opens preseason play with its annual Navy & Gold Scrimmage on Saturday, Aug. 15, before traveling to Millikin on Aug. 19. The Prairie Stars return home to host Blackburn on Aug. 22, then wrap up exhibition play at Illinois Wesleyan on Aug. 25. The home scrimmages provide an early look at the 2026 squad as students return to campus and the fall semester gets underway. 

The Prairie Stars will kick off their official season on Friday, Aug. 28, with an away game against Alabama-Huntsville in Huntsville, AL. This marks the beginning of a rigorous schedule designed to prepare the team for the competitive GLVC season ahead. Following the season opener, UIS will continue its road trip with matches against Trevecca Nazarene and Purdue Northwest.

UIS will return to Springfield for its home and conference opener against Lincoln on Saturday, Sept. 5, at Kiwanis Stadium. The match will not only begin the Prairie Stars' home schedule and GLVC campaign but also serve as Senior Day, honoring the program's senior student-athletes as they kick off their final season at their home field.

Later in the season, the Prairie Stars will host the annual Homecoming doubleheader against Indianapolis on Wednesday, Oct. 7, as part of UIS Homecoming Week festivities. The regular season concludes with a three-match homestand featuring Southwest Baptist (Oct. 17), McKendree (Oct. 21), and Rockhurst (Oct. 24), giving fans multiple opportunities to cheer on the Prairie Stars at Kiwanis Stadium.

New for the 2026 season, the Great Lakes Valley Conference has shifted its regular-season schedule from the traditional Friday-Sunday format to a Wednesday-Saturday model. As part of the change, each GLVC institution selected either daytime or evening kickoff windows for its home conference matches based on what best fits its campus and student-athlete needs. As a result, kickoff times for conference matches may differ from previous seasons, both at Kiwanis Stadium and on the road.

Head Coach Scott Myers shared his enthusiasm for the upcoming season, stating, "I am really excited to get our season started here in a few weeks. We have put together a balanced schedule with opponents both home and away. The non-conference slate features a mix of local and non-local teams who possess a strong reputation, allowing us to prepare for the upcoming GLVC season. The scheduling of our non-conference opponents is very important to our preparation as the GLVC continues to be one of the top conferences in the nation. We have to be strong on the road in the GLVC to be contenders at the end of the season, with a mixture of games on turf and grass. Our preseason schedule gives us just that, from playing farther from home in difficult road environments to also playing closer to home."

Coach Myers is also excited about building off the momentum from the spring and incorporating new players into the roster. "Our leadership group has done a great job over the summer months bringing the team together from a distance, which will be important for us as we hit the road right away in pre-season," he added.

With nine opportunities to catch the Prairie Stars at home, including scrimmages, fans have ample chances to support their team. The team returns a strong core, including junior Mallory Herber, the leading scorer from last season, as it aims to improve on last year's 5-9-3 overall record and 4-8-2 GLVC record.

For the full schedule and updates throughout the season, fans are encouraged to visit uisprairiestars.com, the best place to stay up to date and check for stats and streaming links. Ticket sales will be announced at a later date.

Join us in supporting the UIS Women's Soccer team as it embarks on an exciting 2026 season!

Full Schedule