Central State Eight Conference


The Central State Eight Conference is a high school athletic conference in the Illinois High School Association, 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.

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, as well as Big Twelve Conference castoff Springfield, to find new homes.
Jacksonville joined the short-lived Greater Midwestern Conference 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. Springfield Sacred Heart-Griffin competed as an independent. With these five schools desiring to re-establish local rivalries and reduce travel expenses, the Central State Eight Conference came to fruition.
Original membership included Chatham Glenwood, Jacksonville, Lincoln, Springfield, Springfield Lanphier, Springfield Sacred Heart-Griffin, Springfield Southeast & Taylorville. Since its inception, Taylorville has departed and Rochester, Decatur Eisenhower & Decatur MacArthur have entered. 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.
The conference is centered on high schools in the Springfield/Sangamon County area.

Member Schools

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Former Member High Schools

Future Member High Schools

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