Eastern Illinois Football
Eastern Illinois is an NCAA Division I FCS football program in the OVC, based in Charleston, IL. The 2026 record stands at 3-6. The Cooper Predictor rates Eastern Illinois at -1.3, No. 72 of 127 FCS teams and No. 6 of 8 in the OVC. The model projects a 4-8 finish, with Playoff Odds of 7.8%. The model's pre-game picks are 5-3 in Eastern Illinois games this season. Most recent result: beat UT Martin 45-16 on Oct 31. Next up: vs Western Illinois on Nov 7 — the model projects Western Illinois 31-28, giving Eastern Illinois a 45% chance to win.
Open Eastern Illinois in Cooper Predictor U →Updated Nov 2, 2026 · power ratings compare teams within NCAA Division I FCS.
2026 schedule, predictions & results
| Date | Opponent | Projection | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 27 | @ Murray State | no pick on record | W 28-14 |
| Sep 3 | @ Minnesota | L 7-49 0% ✓ | L 7-59 |
| Sep 12 | vs Indiana State | L 24-27 48% ✓ | L 35-42 |
| Sep 19 | @ Illinois State | L 10-42 3% ✓ | L 13-49 |
| Sep 26 | @ South Dakota State | L 14-45 3% ✓ | L 7-42 |
| Oct 10 | @ Gardner-Webb | L 14-34 14% ✗ | W 21-7 |
| Oct 17 | vs Lindenwood | W 28-27 52% ✗ | L 13-20 |
| Oct 24 | vs Southeast Missouri State | L 21-27 33% ✓ | L 10-20 |
| Oct 31 | @ UT Martin | L 21-28 30% ✗ | W 45-16 |
| Nov 7 | vs Western Illinois | L 28-31 45% | — |
| Nov 14 | @ Tennessee State | W 24-17 67% | — |
| Nov 21 | vs Charleston Southern | L 21-27 36% | — |
Projection = the model's pick, projected score and Eastern Illinois's win probability. For games already played it is the pick frozen before kickoff, with ✓ or ✗ beside it — every pick stays public.
OVC by power rating
| # | Team | 2026 | Power |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Charleston Southern | 5-5 | +6.2 |
| 2 |  Gardner-Webb | 3-6 | +5.4 |
| 3 |  Southeast Missouri State | 5-4 | +3.7 |
| 4 |  Western Illinois | 5-4 | +2.6 |
| 5 |  Lindenwood | 4-4 | +1.8 |
| 6 | Eastern Illinois | 3-6 | -1.3 |
| 7 |  UT Martin | 3-6 | -2.6 |
| 8 |  Tennessee State | 2-7 | -9.3 |
High schools on the Eastern Illinois roster
From publicly published rosters, for the high school states the Cooper Predictor covers. Some rosters do not list a high school, so a player may be missing.
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