Courtesy: Illinois Athletics
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – Illinois swim and dive head coach Jeana Kempe announced the 2025-26 schedule on Wednesday (Aug. 13). The schedule features 11 regular season meets/tournaments with three of them in the ARC Pool and eight of them on the road.
The season begins with the Orange vs. Blue intrasquad meet on Oct. 4 with the first regular season meet on the road at Iowa State on Oct. 17-18. The Illini host their first home meet of the season the following week on Oct. 24-25 with the House of Paign Invite welcoming in Southern Illinois and Illinois State.
Kempe’s squad then hits the road for a few months starting with a triangular meet against Indiana State and Vanderbilt in Terre Haute, Ind. on Nov. 7-8. 10 days later, they head to Iowa City, Iowa for their midseason tournament, the Hawkeye Invite, on Nov. 18-21.
The Big Ten opener is on Dec. 6 at Wisconsin, followed by the CSCAA Open Water Nationals on Dec. 13 in Sarasota, Fla. to close out the 2025 portion of the schedule.
The Orange and Blue aquatics crew rings in the new year with a rivalry match up at Purdue on Jan. 10. The following week, Jan. 16-17, they host Nebraska and Iowa for a triangular meet. They then head to South Bend, Ind., for the Tim Welsh Classic on Jan. 23-24 hosted by Notre Dame.
Dual season ends on Feb. 7 when Eastern Illinois makes the trip to Champaign. Postseason competition starts with the Big Ten Championships on Feb. 18-21 in Minneapolis, Minn. The last chance to qualify for NCAAs is back in South Bend with the Notre Dame Last Chance meet on Feb. 27-28.
The NCAA Diving Zones are in Ypsilanti, Mich., on March 9-11, CSCAA Championships are in Ocala, Fla., on March 12-14, and the NCAA Championships are on March 18-21 in Atlanta, Ga.
FULL SCHEDULE
| Day | Date/Time (CT) | Opponent |
Location (Stadium)
|
| Sat. | Oct. 4 (10 a.m.) | Orange vs. Blue | ARC Pool |
| Fri.-Sat. | Oct. 17-18 (5 p.m. / 11 a.m.) | Iowa State | Ames, Iowa |
| Fri.-Sat. | Oct. 24-25 (5 p.m. / 11 a.m.) | House of Paign Invite (Southern Illinois & Illinois State) | ARC Pool |
| Fri.-Sat. | Nov. 7-8 (6 p.m. / 10 a.m.) | Indiana State & Vanderbilt |
Terre Haute, Ind.
|
| Tue. – Fri. | Nov. 18-21 (All Day) | Hawkeye Invite | Iowa City, Iowa |
| Sat. | Dec. 6 | Wisconsin | Madison, Wis. |
| Sat. | Dec. 13 (All Day) | CSCAA Open Water Nationals | Sarasota, Fla. |
| Sat. | Jan. 10 (10 a.m.) | Purdue |
West Lafayette, Ind.
|
| Fri.-Sat. | Jan. 16-17 (6 p.m. / 11 a.m.) | Iowa and Nebraska | ARC Pool |
| Fri.-Sat. | Jan. 23-24 (All Day) | Tim Welsh Classic |
South Bend, Ind.
|
| Sat. | Feb. 7 (11 a.m. | Eastern Illinois | ARC Pool |
| Wed. – Sat. | Feb. 18-21 | Big Ten Championships |
Minneapolis, Minn.
|
| Fri.-Sat. | Feb. 27-28 | Notre Dame Last Chance |
South Bend, Ind.
|
| Mon.-Wed. | March 9-11 | NCAA Diving Zones | Ypsilanti, Mich. |
| Thur. – Sat. | March 12-14 | CSCAA Championships | Ocala, Fla. |
| Wed. – Sat. | March 18-21 | NCAA Championships | Atlanta, Ga. |
This looks like an easier schedule during the first semester. But a much harder schedule 2nd semester