Colleges in Illinois With Football Teams
31 colleges in Illinois, and how many players each one loses after this season.
- players leave a typical team
- 20
- lose a quarterback
- 68%
2026-27 rosters, read September 29, 2026
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All 31 Illinois schools
Most players leaving first. Players leaving are players in their last season on the 2026-27 roster.
31 schools
D1 FBSIllinois
Champaign, IL
40players leaving
Positions
D1 FCSIllinois State
Normal, IL
33players leaving
Positions
D1 FCSWestern Illinois
Macomb, IL
33players leaving
Positions
See which positions each school needs.
Roster Needs is part of Pro. It shows the positions each school is losing, so you can email the coaches who need your position.
D2Roosevelt
Chicago, IL
29players leaving
Positions
D3Wheaton-IL
Wheaton, IL
29players leaving
Positions
D1 FCSEastern Illinois
Charleston, IL
28players leaving
Positions
D3Monmouth-IL
Monmouth, IL
27players leaving
Positions
D3North Central IL
Naperville, IL
27players leaving
Positions
D3Aurora
Aurora, IL
26players leaving
Positions
D2Quincy
Quincy, IL
26players leaving
Positions
JUCOCollege of DuPage
Glen Ellyn, IL
25players leaving
Positions
D3Illinois Wesleyan
Bloomington, IL
25players leaving
Positions
Show all 31 schoolsShow fewer schools
NAIAOlivet Nazarene
Bourbonnais, IL
24players leaving
Positions
D3Benedictine-IL
Lisle, IL
21players leaving
Positions
D1 FCSSouthern Illinois
Carbondale, IL
21players leaving
Positions
D3Lake Forest
Lake Forest, IL
20players leaving
Positions
NAIASt. Xavier
Chicago, IL
18players leaving
Positions
D3Concordia Chicago
River Forest, IL
17players leaving
Positions
D3Illinois College
Jacksonville, IL
16players leaving
Positions
NAIAJudson
Elgin, IL
16players leaving
Positions
D3Millikin
Decatur, IL
16players leaving
Positions
D1 FBSNorthern Illinois
Dekalb, IL
16players leaving
Positions
D3Rockford
Rockford, IL
15players leaving
Positions
D3Chicago
Chicago, IL
13players leaving
Positions
D2McKendree
Lebanon, IL
11players leaving
Positions
NAIASt. Francis IL
Joliet, IL
9players leaving
Positions
D3Elmhurst
Elmhurst, IL
8players leaving
Positions
D3Knox
Galesburg, IL
8players leaving
Positions
D3North Park
Chicago, IL
7players leaving
Positions
D3Eureka
Eureka, IL
6players leaving
Positions
D3Greenville
Greenville, IL
5players leaving
Positions
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Questions
How many colleges in Illinois have football?
NextCommit's coach data lists 33 colleges in Illinois with football teams for 2026: 3 D1 FBS, 4 D1 FCS, 3 D2, 17 D3, 5 NAIA and 1 JUCO. This page shows the 31 whose 2026-27 rosters we could read in full on September 29, 2026.
How many players does an Illinois football program lose each year?
The typical Illinois football program on this list has 20 players in their last season on its 2026-27 roster. Defensive linemen are the most common opening: 97% of these programs lose at least one, then defensive backs at 94%.
What does "players leaving" mean?
Players in their last season on the college's 2026-27 roster page: seniors, graduate students and fifth-year players at four-year schools, and sophomores at junior colleges. Redshirt marks do not change the count. Their spots open for recruits who start college in 2027.
Does a player leaving mean an open scholarship?
No. It means a roster spot the coaches have to refill, with high school recruits, transfers or walk-ons. How many spots carry aid depends on the level: Division I schools in the House settlement have a 105-player roster limit and no scholarship cap, Division II has 36 football equivalencies shared across the team, Division III gives no athletic aid, the NAIA allows 24 and the NJCAA 85. Some players also get an extra year through a waiver.
Which positions does each school need?
That is Roster Needs, part of NextCommit Pro. It shows the positions each school is losing and filters your coach list to the programs that need your position. This page shows each school's total only.
How should I use this list?
Find schools at your level with players leaving, check which level fits you with the free Football Recruit Score, then email the position coach or recruiting coordinator with your film, measurables and GPA. Follow up when you have something new to share.
How often is this data updated?
NextCommit reads college roster pages twice a year, after fall and spring rosters are posted. This page shows the September 29, 2026 read of 2026-27 rosters. Schools we could not read in full join the list when a later read passes.
How we got these numbers
We read each college's own roster page on September 29, 2026. Players leaving are players in their last season on the 2026-27 roster: seniors, graduate students and fifth-year players at four-year schools, and sophomores at junior colleges. Redshirt marks don't change the count.
This list shows 31 of the 33 programs in NextCommit's coach data (94%). Schools whose roster we couldn't read in full aren't listed yet. We call a list complete when we can read at least 75% of its rosters.
Divisions are for the 2026 season, including North Dakota State and Sacramento State moving to FBS and Saint Francis (PA) moving to Division III.
A player leaving is a spot to refill, not a scholarship offer. Coaches also fill spots from the transfer portal, some players get an extra year, and a roster page can lag behind the team. Use the numbers to decide where to look, then ask the coach.
Last updated November 3, 2026.
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