The UIS men's cross country team opens its 2026 season Friday evening at the 11th Annual Prairie Stars Invitational, with the men's race scheduled for 6:40 p.m. at the UIS Cross Country Course.
Due to an active heat advisory, the men's race has been shortened from 7,000 meters to a 5K. The race will follow the women's 5K, which has been moved to a 6 p.m. start.
UIS women's cross country opens its 2026 season Friday evening when it hosts the annual Prairie Stars Invitational at the UIS cross country course.
Due to forecasted hot temperatures, the women's 5K race has been moved to a 6 p.m. start. The men's race will follow at 6:40 p.m. and has been shortened to a 5K.
The Prairie Stars Invitational is the first of four regular-season races for UIS, with three of the four meets taking place in the state of Illinois. UIS was ranked fourth in the GLVC Preseason Poll.
The Illinois Springfield men's soccer team opens Great Lakes Valley Conference (GLVC) play Saturday when the Prairie Stars host No. 11 Lincoln at Kiwanis Stadium. The match, originally scheduled for 5:30 p.m., has been moved to 8:30 p.m. due to high temperatures expected in the Central Illinois area.
The Illinois Springfield women's soccer team's non-conference match at Purdue Northwest was moved from its scheduled 3 p.m. start to 10 a.m. Wednesday because of a heat advisory. The match featured frequent substitutions and hydration breaks helping both teams manage the conditions.
UIS Athletics is excited to welcome faculty and staff to Prairie Stars home events this fall!
Admission is charged for regular-season home games in women’s volleyball, men’s and women’s soccer, men’s and women’s basketball, softball, and women’s flag football. There is no admission charge for baseball, cross country, golf, or tennis events.
The UIS women's soccer team returns to action Wednesday for its final non-conference match of the season, traveling to Purdue Northwest for a 10 a.m. kickoff at Dowling Park. Wednesday's match has been moved from its originally scheduled 3 p.m. start time due to a heat advisory.
The Prairie Stars enter the match at 1-1 after splitting their opening weekend. UIS opened the season with a 2-1 road victory at Alabama Huntsville, with Addi Wittenberg opening the scoring before Mallory Herber put the Prairie Stars back in front after UAH equalized.
UIS Athletics looks ahead to an exciting week of competition from Aug. 31 through Sept. 6. Highlighting the week's lineup are home events including the Prairie Star Invitational for cross country and the soccer conference opener, themed "Past, Present, and Future of UIS Soccer." Stay tuned for updates and results throughout the week, or sign up for email updates about teams of your choice here.
Wednesday, Sept. 2
10 a.m. — Women's Soccer at Purdue Northwest
Registration is now open for the 2026 UIS Athletics Hall of Fame Luncheon and Induction Ceremony, set for Saturday, Oct. 10, at 11 a.m. in the SLB Gymnasium, the former home of Prairie Stars Athletics and a venue where some of this year's inductees once competed.
UIS men's soccer faced a Division I opponent on Sunday afternoon, traveling to Macomb to take on Western Illinois. The Prairie Stars stayed within one goal through the opening half before the Leathernecks pulled away for a 4-0 victory at John MacKenzie Alumni Field.
UIS women's soccer (1-1-0) fell to Trevecca Nazarene (1-0-1) with a final score of 1-0 on Sunday afternoon. Despite outshooting the Trojans 18-6, the Prairie Stars did not find the back of the net.