For the first time in decades, there will be no varsity football season at Decatur Eisenhower this fall.
The Eisenhower Panthers will not field a varsity football team during the 2026 season. 106.3 The Game has independently confirmed the cancellation through the Illinois High School Association.
The decision comes less than two weeks before Eisenhower was scheduled to open its season.
Multiple sources within Decatur Public Schools have not confirmed the cancellation or provided a reason for the decision. The district is expected to release an official statement regarding the Eisenhower football program Monday.
The cancellation marks a significant moment for one of Decatur’s oldest high school football programs.
Eisenhower opened its doors in 1957 as Decatur’s population was growing rapidly following World War II. The Panthers’ football program dates back to the school’s inaugural 1957 season.
According to IHSA records, Eisenhower football has an all-time record of 187 wins, 392 losses and three ties over 65 seasons.
Eisenhower first reached the IHSA playoffs in 1992, finishing 10-3 under head coach Steve Smith. The Panthers returned to the playoffs in 1995 and again in 2004 under head coach Dennis Sheppard.
Eisenhower later made consecutive playoff appearances in 2015 and 2016 under head coach Drew Wagers, going 7-4 each season. The 2016 season remains the Panthers’ most recent playoff appearance.
In more recent years, Eisenhower has struggled to find wins. The Panthers finished 1-8 in each of the last four completed seasons, including a 1-8 record in 2025 under head coach DaJuan Johnson.
Benny Phillips took over as Eisenhower’s athletic director and head football coach this offseason with an emphasis on rebuilding the football program and increasing participation throughout Eisenhower athletics.
Phillips told 106.3 The Game on Monday that 35 players have been working with the football program.
“All I can control is the kids that are here,” Phillips said. “We know that we have 35 kids that are working hard to do the stuff that they need to do.”
Phillips said that work continued over the weekend, with 25 players attending a 9 a.m. practice Saturday.
“We haven’t had that before,” Phillips said. “So, the future of the program is bright.”
The cancellation will also have an impact beyond Eisenhower.
The Panthers had been scheduled to open the season Aug. 21 at Mascoutah before traveling to Mount Zion on Aug. 28. Eisenhower’s schedule also included games against Rochester, Normal University, Glenwood and crosstown rival Decatur MacArthur.
Schools scheduled to face Eisenhower will now have two options: accept a forfeit or attempt to find another opponent for the open date.
At least one has already found a replacement.
Glenwood was scheduled to face Eisenhower on Sept. 18. The Titans announced Monday morning they were searching for a new Week 5 varsity opponent. Hours later, Glenwood announced it had reached an agreement to travel to Rock Island for a 7 p.m. game that night.
Other schools on Eisenhower’s schedule could now make similar moves with the start of the season approaching.
Questions remain about what led to the cancellation, the status of Eisenhower’s lower-level football teams and what the decision means for the future of the program.
Decatur Public Schools is expected to provide additional information Monday. 106.3 The Game will update this story when the district releases its statement.
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