Central State Eight Conference

The Central State Eight Conference is a high school athletic conference in the Illinois High School Association (IHSA), based in Central Illinois. While the name implies that the conference has eight schools, there are actually ten schools currently active, due to other schools changing conference affiliations. The conference was established in time for the 1993-1994 school calendar year.

Central State Eight Conference
Established1993
AssociationIHSA
Members10
RegionCentral Illinois

History

The impetus of the conference formation can be traced as far back as 1981-1982, originating from the remnants of the defunct Capitol Conference. At that time, the existing Big Twelve Conference membership of Bloomington, Champaign Central, Danville, Stephen Decatur, Lincoln, Mattoon, Springfield & Urbana voted to drop Springfield and add existing Capitol Conference members Champaign Centennial, Decatur Eisenhower, Decatur MacArthur & Normal Community, as well as Rantoul. As a result, the Capitol Conference dissolved, leaving its remaining members (Jacksonville, Springfield Lanphier, Springfield Sacred Heart-Griffin & Springfield Southeast), as well as Big Twelve Conference castoff Springfield, to find new homes.[1]

Jacksonville joined the short-lived Greater Midwestern Conference (along with Chatham Glenwood, Hannibal (Missouri), Macomb & Quincy Notre Dame) for five years, then become an independent. Springfield, Springfield Lanphier & Springfield Southeast joined Pekin, Peoria Bergan, Peoria Central, Peoria Manual, Peoria Richwoods, Peoria Spalding & Peoria Woodruff in the Mid-State # Conference (where # indicated the number of active members at that given time). Springfield Sacred Heart-Griffin competed as an independent.[2] With these five schools desiring to re-establish local rivalries and reduce travel expenses, the Central State Eight Conference came to fruition.[3]

Original membership included Chatham Glenwood, Jacksonville, Lincoln (from the Big Twelve Conference), Springfield, Springfield Lanphier, Springfield Sacred Heart-Griffin, Springfield Southeast & Taylorville (from the Apollo Conference).[4] Since its inception, Taylorville (following 2013-2014, returning to the Apollo Conference) has departed and Rochester (from the Sangamo Conference, starting 2010-2011), Decatur Eisenhower (from the Big Twelve Conference, starting 2014-2015) & Decatur MacArthur (from the Big Twelve Conference, starting 2014-2015) have entered.[5][6] Lincoln has departed for the Apollo Conference following the 2016-2017 school year, with Normal University joining at that beginning of the 2017-2018 school year from the Corn Belt Conference.[7][8]

The conference is centered on high schools in the Springfield/Sangamon County (Illinois) area.

Member Schools
Location
(Population)		 Name Nickname(s) Colors School Type Enrollment (2017-2018) Joined Reference
Chatham
(11,500)		 Glenwood High School Titans     Public Co-Educational 1,381 1993 [9]
Decatur
(76,122)		 Eisenhower High School Panthers     Public Co-Educational 1,055 2014 [10]
Decatur
(76,122)		 MacArthur High School Generals     Public Co-Educational 1,108 2014 [11]
Jacksonville
(19,466)		 Jacksonville High School Crimsons     Public Co-Educational 1,005 1993 [12]
Normal
(52,497)		 University High School Pioneers     Public Co-Educational 611 / 1008.15 (multiplied) 2017 [13]
Rochester
(3,689)		 Rochester High School Rockets     Public Co-Educational 774 2010 [14]
Springfield
(116,250)		 Springfield High School Senators     Public Co-Educational 1,509 1993 [15]
Springfield
(116,250)		 Lanphier High School Lions     Public Co-Educational 1,257 1993 [16]
Springfield
(116,250)		 Sacred Heart-Griffin High School Cyclones     Non-Public Co-Educational 643 / 1060.95 (multiplied) 1993 [17]
Springfield
(116,250)		 Southeast High School Spartans       Public Co-Educational 1,208 1993 [18]

^ - Scheduled

% - Multiplier

Former Member High Schools
Town Name Nickname(s) Colors School Type Enrollment (2015-2016) IHSA Classification (2015-2016) Joined Departed Reference
Taylorville Taylorville High School Tornadoes     Public Co-Educational 809 A, AA, 2A, 3A 1993 2014 [19]
Lincoln Lincoln High School Railsplitters     Public Co-Educational 860 A, AA, 1A, 2A, 3A 1993 2017 [20]

Future Member High Schools

^ - Scheduled

% - Multiplier

References
  1. "An Urge To Merge". The News-Gazette, Inc. 29 April 2001. Retrieved 17 April 2016.
  2. "The Great Conferences". Illinois High School Glory Days. 10 February 2005. Retrieved 17 April 2016.
  3. "An Urge To Merge". The News-Gazette, Inc. 29 April 2001. Retrieved 17 April 2016.
  4. "The Great Conferences". Illinois High School Glory Days. 10 February 2005. Retrieved 17 April 2016.
  5. "Taylorville Accepted Into The Apollo Conference". Taylorville Daily News. 14 May 2012. Retrieved 17 April 2016.
  6. "Central State Eight Votes In Decatur Schools". Herald & Review. 14 March 2013. Retrieved 17 April 2016.
  7. "Lincoln High School Board Votes To Leave CS8, Join Apollo Conference". Lincoln Courier. 21 December 2015. Retrieved 17 April 2016.
  8. "U High Opts To Join Central State Eight Conference". The Pantagraph. 27 January 2016. Retrieved 17 April 2016.
  9. "Chatham (Glenwood)". Illinois High School Association (IHSA). 1 April 2010. Retrieved 16 April 2016.
  10. "Decatur (Eisenhower)". Illinois High School Association (IHSA). 1 April 2010. Retrieved 16 April 2016.
  11. "Decatur (MacArthur)". Illinois High School Association (IHSA). 1 April 2010. Retrieved 16 April 2016.
  12. "Jacksonville". Illinois High School Association (IHSA). 1 April 2010. Retrieved 16 April 2016.
  13. "Normal (University)". Illinois High School Association (IHSA). 1 April 2010. Retrieved 16 April 2016.
  14. "Rochester". Illinois High School Association (IHSA). 1 April 2010. Retrieved 16 April 2016.
  15. "Springfield". Illinois High School Association (IHSA). 1 April 2010. Retrieved 16 April 2016.
  16. "Springfield (Lanphier)". Illinois High School Association (IHSA). 1 April 2010. Retrieved 16 April 2016.
  17. "Springfield (Sacred Heart-Griffin)". Illinois High School Association (IHSA). 1 April 2010. Retrieved 16 April 2016.
  18. "Springfield (Southeast)". Illinois High School Association (IHSA). 1 April 2010. Retrieved 16 April 2016.
  19. "Taylorville". Illinois High School Association (IHSA). 1 April 2010. Retrieved 16 April 2016.
  20. "Lincoln". Illinois High School Association (IHSA). 1 April 2010. Retrieved 16 April 2016.
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