IHSA - Illinois High School Association
02/18/2026 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 02/19/2026 11:30
STATE CENTRAL | 2026 Speech
The 2026 IHSA Speech State Finals, presented by COUNTRY Financial, are set for Friday and Saturday, February 20-21 at the Peoria Civic Center.
The 2025-26 school year is the 125th in the IHSA's storied history. Learn more about some of the pivotal student competitors, coaches, and moments from the IHSA's first 125 years here.
Saturday's awards ceremony will be preceded with three special moments of recognition, as the IHSA's 2026 nominee for the NFHS Heart of the Arts Award, Normal University speech participant Suhn Kaeb, will be recognized in front of her peers. The IHSA will then award its prestigious Distinguished Service Award to a pair of veteran tournaments workers in John Knight andBen Stewart.
A schedule, links to important state final info, and a preview can be found below…
---2026 IHSA SPEECH STATE FINALS---
Friday & Saturday, February 20-21
Civic Center | Peoria | Directions
State Final Info | Rosters | Results
State Final Merchandise | Minerva Promotions
Download/Order State Final Program | PIP Printing
Photos | Visual Image Photography
---STATE FINAL SCHEDULE---
Friday, February 20
1:30 PM | Preliminary Round I, Section A (All Events)
1:30 PM | Performance in the Round Prelim. | Section A
3:00 PM | Preliminary Round I. Section B (All Events)
4:30 PM | Preliminary Round I, Section C (All Events)
Saturday, February 21
8:00 AM | Preliminary Round II, Section A (All Events)
8:00 AM | Performance in the Round Prelim. | Section B
9:30 AM | Preliminary Round II, Section B (All Events)
11:00 AM | Preliminary Round II, Section C (All Events)
2:00 PM | Final Round: All Events
2:00 PM | Performance in the Round | Final Round
approx. 4:00 PM | Awards to follow completion of Final Rounds
The 2025-26 school year is the 125th in the IHSA's storied history. Learn more about some of the pivotal student competitors, coaches, and moments from the IHSA's first 125 years here.
Saturday's awards ceremony will be preceded with three special moments of recognition, as the IHSA's 2026 nominee for the NFHS Heart of the Arts Award, Normal University speech participant Suhn Kaeb, will be recognized in front of her peers. The IHSA will then award its prestigious Distinguished Service Award to a pair of veteran tournaments workers in John Knight andBen Stewart.
A schedule, links to important state final info, and a preview can be found below…
---2026 IHSA SPEECH STATE FINALS---
Friday & Saturday, February 20-21
Civic Center | Peoria | Directions
State Final Info | Rosters | Results
State Final Merchandise | Minerva Promotions
Download/Order State Final Program | PIP Printing
Photos | Visual Image Photography
---STATE FINAL SCHEDULE---
Friday, February 20
1:30 PM | Preliminary Round I, Section A (All Events)
1:30 PM | Performance in the Round Prelim. | Section A
3:00 PM | Preliminary Round I. Section B (All Events)
4:30 PM | Preliminary Round I, Section C (All Events)
Saturday, February 21
8:00 AM | Preliminary Round II, Section A (All Events)
8:00 AM | Performance in the Round Prelim. | Section B
9:30 AM | Preliminary Round II, Section B (All Events)
11:00 AM | Preliminary Round II, Section C (All Events)
2:00 PM | Final Round: All Events
2:00 PM | Performance in the Round | Final Round
approx. 4:00 PM | Awards to follow completion of Final Rounds
IHSA - Illinois High School Association published this content on February 18, 2026, and is solely responsible for the information contained herein. Distributed via Public Technologies (PUBT), unedited and unaltered, on February 19, 2026 at 17:30 UTC. If you believe the information included in the content is inaccurate or outdated and requires editing or removal, please contact us at [email protected]