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PEORIA — The Peoria Rivermen will open the 45th season in franchise history 80 days from July 30 as they pursue another trip to the SPHL President's Cup Finals.
The defending regular-season league champions begin a 60-game schedule with a road opener on Oct. 17 at Quad City. They return for their home opening weekend at Carver Arena on Oct. 23 and 24 for a pair of games against expansion entry Pee Dee.
The Rivermen will host expansion Pee Dee on Oct. 23, 24, 31 and Nov. 6 and Nov. 15. Peoria visits Pee Dee on New Year's Eve, New Year's Day and Jan. 2.
The Rivermen play expansion Athens three times, but all on the road Feb. 5-7.
Peoria plays all but one team – Fayetteville – in the 12-team SPHL in 2026-27.
The Rivermen have a 14-game series against rival Quad City, with eight of those games in Moline. Peoria plays two-time defending champion Evansville 11 times, including six away.
Some schedule notables:
The Rivermen season home opener is Friday, Oct. 23, against expansion Pee Dee at Carver Arena.
Peoria plays on Halloween, hosting Pee Dee.
The Rivermen play on Thanksgiving Weekend, hosting Quad City on Black Friday and again on Saturday, Nov. 28.
The Rivermen annual Education Day Game, which approaches sellout crowds, is against Quad City at 10:30 a.m. on Thursday, Dec. 17.
Peoria plays on Presidents' Day, Monday, Feb. 15 at Quad City.
The SPHL has increased the regular-season schedule to 60 games for 2026-27, and it wraps up for Peoria with a home-away two-game series against Evansville.
The Rivermen play at home on 12 Saturdays, 10 Fridays, seven Sundays and one Thursday.
Peoria has a seven-game, 14-day road trip from Dec. 26 through Jan. 9. But the Rivermen also have a six-game, nine-day road trip from March 12-21, during which they will travel 3,470 miles for games at Roanoke, Knoxville, Huntsville and Macon. That's the equivalent of a drive from Peoria to Anchorage, Alaska.
Here's a look at the complete Rivermen schedule:
17: Peoria at Quad City, 7:10 p.m.23: Pee Dee at Peoria, 7:15 p.m.24: Pee Dee at Peoria, 7:15 p.m.31: Pee Dee at Peoria, 7:15 p.m.
6: Pee Dee at Peoria, 7:15 p.m.13: Peoria at Evansville, 7:05 p.m.14: Evansville at Peoria, 7:15 p.m.15: Pee Dee at Peoria, 3:15 p.m.21: Peoria at Evansville, 7:05 p.m.22: Knoxville at Peoria, 3:15 p.m.25: Peoria at Quad City, 6:10 p.m.27: Quad City at Peoria, 7:15 p.m.28: Quad City at Peoria, 7:15 p.m.
4: Peoria at Macon, 7 p.m.5: Peoria at Macon, 6 p.m.11: Pensacola at Peoria, 7:15 p.m.12: Pensacola at Peoria, 7:15 p.m.13: Pensacola at Peoria, 3:15 p.m.17: Quad City at Peoria, 10:30 a.m.18: Peoria at Evansville, 7:05 p.m.19: Evansville at Peoria, 7:15 p.m.26: Peoria at Quad City, 4:10 p.m.27: Peoria at Quad City, 2:10 p.m.31: Peoria at Pee Dee, 7:15 p.m.
1: Peoria at Pee Dee, 7:15 p.m.2: Peoria at Pee Dee, 7:15 p.m.8: Peoria at Roanoke, 7:05 p.m.9: Peoria at Roanoke, 7:05 p.m.15: Quad City at Peoria, 7:15 p.m.16: Peoria at Quad City, 7:10 p.m.17: Quad City at Peoria, 3:15 p.m.22: Roanoke at Peoria, 7:15 p.m.23: Roanoke at Peoria, 7:15 p.m.24: Roanoke at Peoria, 3:15 p.m.29: Peoria at Quad City, 7:10 p.m.30: Peoria at Quad City, 7:10 p.m.
5: Peoria at Athens, 7:05 p.m.6: Peoria at Athens, 7:05 p.m.7: Peoria at Athens, 7:05 p.m.12: Peoria at Evansville, 7:05 p.m.13: Evansville at Peoria, 7:15 p.m.15: Peoria at Quad City, 2:10 p.m.19: Huntsville at Peoria, 7:15 p.m.20: Huntsville at Peoria, 7:15 p.m.26: Peoria at Evansville, 7:05 p.m.27: Evansville at Peoria, 7:15 p.m.28: Quad City at Peoria, 3:15 p.m.
5: Birmingham at Peoria, 7:15 p.m.6: Birmingham at Peoria, 7:15 p.m.7: Birmingham at Peoria, 3:15 p.m.12: Peoria at Roanoke, 7:05 p.m.13: Peoria at Roanoke, 7:05 p.m.14: Peoria at Knoxville, 5 p.m.19: Peoria at Huntsville, 7 p.m.20: Peoria at Huntsville, 7 p.m.21: Peoria at Macon, 3 p.m.26: Knoxville at Peoria, 7:15 p.m.27: Knoxville at Peoria, 7:15 p.m.
2: Evansville at Peoria, 7:15 p.m.3: Peoria at Evansville, 7:05 p.m.
Dave Eminian is the Journal Star senior writer and sports columnist, and covers Bradley men's basketball, the Rivermen and Chiefs. He writes the Cleve In The Eve sports column for pjstar.com. He can be reached at [email protected]. Follow him on X.com @icetimecleve.
This article originally appeared on Journal Star: What to know about the Peoria Rivermen 2026-27 SPHL schedule
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The defending regular-season league champions begin a 60-game schedule with a road opener on Oct. 17 at Quad City. They return for their home opening weekend at Carver Arena on Oct. 23 and 24 for a pair of games against expansion entry Pee Dee.
The Rivermen will host expansion Pee Dee on Oct. 23, 24, 31 and Nov. 6 and Nov. 15. Peoria visits Pee Dee on New Year's Eve, New Year's Day and Jan. 2.
The Rivermen play expansion Athens three times, but all on the road Feb. 5-7.
Peoria plays all but one team – Fayetteville – in the 12-team SPHL in 2026-27.
The Rivermen have a 14-game series against rival Quad City, with eight of those games in Moline. Peoria plays two-time defending champion Evansville 11 times, including six away.
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Some schedule notables:
The Rivermen season home opener is Friday, Oct. 23, against expansion Pee Dee at Carver Arena.Peoria plays on Halloween, hosting Pee Dee.The Rivermen play on Thanksgiving Weekend, hosting Quad City on Black Friday and again on Saturday, Nov. 28.The Rivermen annual Education Day Game, which approaches sellout crowds, is against Quad City at 10:30 a.m. on Thursday, Dec. 17.Peoria plays on Presidents' Day, Monday, Feb. 15 at Quad City.The SPHL has increased the regular-season schedule to 60 games for 2026-27, and it wraps up for Peoria with a home-away two-game series against Evansville.The Rivermen play at home on 12 Saturdays, 10 Fridays, seven Sundays and one Thursday.Peoria has a seven-game, 14-day road trip from Dec. 26 through Jan. 9. But the Rivermen also have a six-game, nine-day road trip from March 12-21, during which they will travel 3,470 miles for games at Roanoke, Knoxville, Huntsville and Macon. That's the equivalent of a drive from Peoria to Anchorage, Alaska.Here's a look at the complete Rivermen schedule:
OCTOBER
17: Peoria at Quad City, 7:10 p.m.23: Pee Dee at Peoria, 7:15 p.m.24: Pee Dee at Peoria, 7:15 p.m.31: Pee Dee at Peoria, 7:15 p.m.
NOVEMBER
6: Pee Dee at Peoria, 7:15 p.m.13: Peoria at Evansville, 7:05 p.m.14: Evansville at Peoria, 7:15 p.m.15: Pee Dee at Peoria, 3:15 p.m.21: Peoria at Evansville, 7:05 p.m.22: Knoxville at Peoria, 3:15 p.m.25: Peoria at Quad City, 6:10 p.m.27: Quad City at Peoria, 7:15 p.m.28: Quad City at Peoria, 7:15 p.m.
DECEMBER
4: Peoria at Macon, 7 p.m.5: Peoria at Macon, 6 p.m.11: Pensacola at Peoria, 7:15 p.m.12: Pensacola at Peoria, 7:15 p.m.13: Pensacola at Peoria, 3:15 p.m.17: Quad City at Peoria, 10:30 a.m.18: Peoria at Evansville, 7:05 p.m.19: Evansville at Peoria, 7:15 p.m.26: Peoria at Quad City, 4:10 p.m.27: Peoria at Quad City, 2:10 p.m.31: Peoria at Pee Dee, 7:15 p.m.
JANUARY
1: Peoria at Pee Dee, 7:15 p.m.2: Peoria at Pee Dee, 7:15 p.m.8: Peoria at Roanoke, 7:05 p.m.9: Peoria at Roanoke, 7:05 p.m.15: Quad City at Peoria, 7:15 p.m.16: Peoria at Quad City, 7:10 p.m.17: Quad City at Peoria, 3:15 p.m.22: Roanoke at Peoria, 7:15 p.m.23: Roanoke at Peoria, 7:15 p.m.24: Roanoke at Peoria, 3:15 p.m.29: Peoria at Quad City, 7:10 p.m.30: Peoria at Quad City, 7:10 p.m.
FEBRUARY
5: Peoria at Athens, 7:05 p.m.6: Peoria at Athens, 7:05 p.m.7: Peoria at Athens, 7:05 p.m.12: Peoria at Evansville, 7:05 p.m.13: Evansville at Peoria, 7:15 p.m.15: Peoria at Quad City, 2:10 p.m.19: Huntsville at Peoria, 7:15 p.m.20: Huntsville at Peoria, 7:15 p.m.26: Peoria at Evansville, 7:05 p.m.27: Evansville at Peoria, 7:15 p.m.28: Quad City at Peoria, 3:15 p.m.
MARCH
5: Birmingham at Peoria, 7:15 p.m.6: Birmingham at Peoria, 7:15 p.m.7: Birmingham at Peoria, 3:15 p.m.12: Peoria at Roanoke, 7:05 p.m.13: Peoria at Roanoke, 7:05 p.m.14: Peoria at Knoxville, 5 p.m.19: Peoria at Huntsville, 7 p.m.20: Peoria at Huntsville, 7 p.m.21: Peoria at Macon, 3 p.m.26: Knoxville at Peoria, 7:15 p.m.27: Knoxville at Peoria, 7:15 p.m.
APRIL
2: Evansville at Peoria, 7:15 p.m.3: Peoria at Evansville, 7:05 p.m.
Dave Eminian is the Journal Star senior writer and sports columnist, and covers Bradley men's basketball, the Rivermen and Chiefs. He writes the Cleve In The Eve sports column for pjstar.com. He can be reached at [email protected]. Follow him on X.com @icetimecleve.
This article originally appeared on Journal Star: What to know about the Peoria Rivermen 2026-27 SPHL schedule
Continue reading...
