After a recent passed proposal to expand the football playoffs and extend the season by a week changed the preseason calendar, the IHSA has called a special board meeting to consider moving the start of preseason practice back to accommodate for more time to prepare.

Here is the 2025 Friday Night Drive Team of the Year.

Two-win teams in the playoffs? Join hosts Steve Soucie and Matt Rodewald as they review the IHSA expansion of the high school football playoffs and what it means for the sport going forward.

IHSA Proposal 19 was passed by a majority of member schools in an IHSA schoolwide vote. Its implementation will increase the number of playoff qualifiers from 256 teams to 384 teams.

Proposal 19 is on the ballot with a submission that proposes that the playoff field be expanded by 16 teams in each classification with a total of 384 teams qualifying for the postseason. Steve Soucie's uses 2025 data to project what the format could look like.

The CCL/ESCC announced its new alignment for the 2026 and 2027 seasons with many of the league's 24 teams finding themselves in different division than before.

Mount Carmel finished the same place it started the season in the No. 1 spot of the Friday Night Drive Power Rankings. Check out the final rankings here.

The top three teams in the Friday Night Drive Power Rankings held strong in the semifinal round, but that's where the stability ended. Check out the new rankings here.

Getting a strong sense of deja vu when looking at the lineup of state championships? That's understandable considering the group has collectively made 115 title game appearances previously. Steve Soucie takes a look at what we learned in Week 13.

A trio of power teams continue to roll through the playoffs while the upstarts still continue to emerge shaking up the Friday Night Drive Power Rankings. Check out the new rankings here.

The quarterfinal round was an absolute breeze for some teams while others experienced significantly more stress in keeping their postseason runs alive. Steve Soucie takes a look at what we learned in Week 12.

Congratulations to these 22 Illinois high school football players who were voted onto Friday Night Drive's Team of the Week for Round 2 of the 2025 high school football playoffs

A Roxana High School proposal that would expand the playoffs and provide a regional schedule model has released regional mockups for Class 7A and Class 8A. See the proposed regions here.

A number of ranked teams bowed out in the second round of the playoffs shaking up the Friday Night Drive Power Rankings considerably. Check out the new rankings here.

High seeds had a rough go of it in Round 2 of the playoffs, while the CCL/ESCC flexed its muscles in numerous classifications. Steve Soucie takes a look at what we learned in Week 11.

Each week, we’ll have 22 players – 11 on offense, 11 on defense – to make the Friday Night Drive Team of the Week. Vote for your favorite players for Round 2 of the playoffs!

The St. Charles North and Carmel football teams played Saturday in a second round playoff matchup.

A Roxana High School proposal that would expand the playoffs and provide a regional schedule model has released regional mockups for Class 5A and Class 6A. See the proposed regions here.

Congratulations to these 22 Illinois high school football players who were voted onto Friday Night Drive's Team of the Week for Round 1 of the 2025 high school football playoffs

Ranked teams did what they should do largely rolling to easy first round victories in the state playoffs. Check out the new rankings here:

If you like points being scored the opening round of the playoffs was definitely worth tuning into. Steve Soucie takes a look at what we learned in Week 10.

Each week, we’ll have 22 players – 11 on offense, 11 on defense – to make the Friday Night Drive Team of the Week. Vote for your favorite players for Round 1 of the playoffs!

Chris Chang returned the opening kick for a touchdown, intercepted two passes and caught a 70-yard TD to lead Lake Zurich to a 46-13 win over Grant in the first round of the Class 6A playoffs.

St. Patrick used a big second quarter to take control in a 49-28 win over Wauconda in a Class 5A first-round playoff game Saturday.

Carmel put up 540 yards against Normal Community in a 7A playoff opener, but the win didn’t come without some anxious moments in the fourth quarter.

The Kaneland football team took on Lakes to start their playoff run Saturday afternoon at Kaneland High School in Maple Park.

Vernon Hills travel to Prairie Ridge for IHSA Class 5A first-round playoff football game on Friday, Oct. 31, 2025, at Prairie Ridge High School in Crystal Lake.

After receiving feedback from IHSA membership schools, a Roxana High School proposal to change the postseason structure and regular-season scheduling process has some alterations.

Join hosts Josh Welge and Steve Soucie as they preview the first round of the IHSA football playoffs.

A Roxana High School proposal that would expand the playoffs and provide a regional schedule model has released regional mockups for Class 3A and Class 4A. See the proposed regions here.

Congratulations to these 22 Illinois high school football players who were voted onto Friday Night Drive's Team of the Week for Week 9 of the 2025 high school football season

The race to filling the field of 256 teams took some surprising twists and turns. Steve Soucie takes a look at what we learned in Week 9.

Each week, we’ll have 22 players – 11 on offense, 11 on defense – to make the Friday Night Drive Team of the Week. Vote for your favorite players for Week 9!

Check here for live updates and changes to Steve Soucie's IHSA football playoff projection for all eight classes.

Final scores in Illinois high school football for Week 9 of the 2025 season. This will be updated as more scores come in

155 teams are already assured of hearing their names called on IHSA pairings night. Steve Soucie walks through how the other 101 teams will secure their places on the bracket board.

A Roxana High School proposal that would expand the playoffs and provide a regional schedule model has released regional mockups for smaller schools programs (Class 1A and 2A). See the proposed regions here.

Some bubble teams took the opportunity to seize their own fate with surprise wins in Week 8 and altered the field in multiple ways. Steve Soucie's latest playoff projection can be found here.

Congratulations to these 22 Illinois high school football players who were voted onto Friday Night Drive's Team of the Week for Week 8 of the 2025 high school football season

Two top five teams stumbled in Week 8 leading to a significant scramble of the Friday Night Drive Power Rankings. Check out the shuffled rankings here:

Join hosts Matt Rodewald and Steve Soucie as they review what they saw in Week 8 of Illinois high school football and go over the two latest IHSA playoff proposals

After a few relative stable weeks, chaos hit in a big way to premier programs around the state. Steve Soucie takes a look at what we learned in Week 8.

Each week, we’ll have 22 players – 11 on offense, 11 on defense – to make the Friday Night Drive Team of the Week. Vote for your favorite players for Week 8!

Final scores in Illinois high school football for Week 8 of the 2025 season. This will be updated as more scores come in

Another proposal has been put forth to the Illinois High School Association in attempt to modify the football postseason. Monticello High School has submitted a proposal that will add a week the postseason structure and increase the playoff field from 256 to 384 teams.

Join hosts Steve Soucie and Josh Welge as they preview Week 8 in Illinois high school football and dig into where we are heading into the playoffs with only two games left

Some unexpected results led to a lot of seeding changes in this week's projections. It did not, however, lead to a lot of new teams breaking into the field. Steve Soucie's latest playoff projection can be found here.

A proposal has been put forth to the IHSA to expand the playoff field by 96 teams and introduce a flexed regional scheduling concept to ease the pressures for teams having difficulties putting together a full football schedule

Congratulations to these 23 Illinois high school football players who were voted onto Friday Night Drive's Team of the Week for Week 7 of the 2025 high school football season

In a week that seemed to be a less challenging one for ranked teams, that did not come to fruition as several ranked teams were upset. Check out the shuffled rankings here: