The Interstate Eight Conference (Interstate 8 or I–8) is an athletic conference of Illinois high schools that are members of the Illinois High School Association (IHSA). The conference currently has six member schools throughout Northern Illinois that compete in 12 different sports (boys' basketball, girls' basketball, girls' volleyball, boys' golf, girls' golf, football, boys' soccer, girls' soccer, wrestling, baseball, softball, cross country, and track and field).
The Interstate Eight began in 1979 and originally had eight schools—Coal City, Dwight, Marseilles, Plano, Reed-Custer, Seneca, Wilmington, and Yorkville. Sandwich soon entered the I-8 when Marseilles dropped out.Original document, "1980 Interstate Eight All Conference Softball Team", which included conference softball standings. Wilmington and Yorkville did not have softball teams in 1980. In 1991, Yorkville was replaced by Lisle. In 2006 Herscher, Manteno, Peotone, and Westmont joined the conference. Despite the conference growing from eight to 12 teams, the conference name remained Interstate 8. Dwight left the conference prior to the 2014–15 season while Streator joined the conference. In 2019–20, Reed-Custer, Manteno, Peotone, Herscher, Wilmington, Seneca, Streator, Coal City, Westmont and Lisle left the conference leaving only Plano and Sandwich in the conference. That year, the conference added six schools from the soon to be defunct Northern Illinois Big 12 Conference. These included Kaneland, LaSalle-Peru, Morris, Ottawa, Rochelle, and Sycamore. These moves left Plano as the only remaining founding member of the conference.
In 2022, Sandwich High School and Plano High School announcing to leave the conference to join Kishwaukee River Conference starting in 2023–24 season. Plano was the final remaining original I8C member, completing nearly 45 seasons. This left the Interstate Eight with, ironically, only six schools. All of which are the former NI-Big 12 schools.
Most of the member schools are/were in rural/smaller towns. Former members Westmont and Lisle are suburbs of Chicago but enrollments are small in size. Westmont's population is divided between the varying schools in the area, including high schools in Darien, Woodridge, Hinsdale, Bolingbrook, Naperville, Lisle, Lombard, and Glen Ellyn. Lisle's enrollment is small, due to Lisle's relatively small size as a city, as well as being located east of Naperville, which has at least four high schools in the immediate vicinity, as well as the Glenbard schools and Wheaton-Warrenville South all being within a close proximity to the high school.
The Conference is divided into Large and Small divisions during football season and teams only play members of their division for the conference schedule. Baseball and softball are also divided into North and South divisions. In all other sports, the conference is undivided.
Members There are six current members of the conference
Current members High Schools Town County Team name ColorsJoinedIHSA Classification Kaneland High School Maple Park Kane Knights 20192A/3A LaSalle-Peru High School LaSalle LaSalle Cavaliers 20192A/3A Morris Community High School Morris Grundy Warriors 20192A/3A Ottawa Township High School Ottawa LaSalle Pirates 20192A/3A Rochelle Township High School Rochelle Ogle Hubs 20192A/3A Sycamore High School Sycamore DeKalb Spartans 20192A/3A
Former Members High Schools Town County Team name ColorsJoinedLeftCurrent Conference Coal City High School Coal City Grundy Coalers 19792019Illinois Central Eight Dwight High School Dwight Livingston Trojans 19792014Tri-County Herscher High School Herscher Kankakee Tigers 20062019Illinois Central Eight Lisle High School Lisle DuPage Lions 19912019Illinois Central Eight Manteno High School Manteno Kankakee Panthers 20022019Illinois Central Eight Marseilles High School Marseilles LaSalle Panthers 19791985None (Closed in 1990)Peotone High SchoolPeotoneWillBlue Devils 20022019Illinois Central EightPlano High SchoolPlanoKendallReapers 19792023Kishwaukee RiverReed-Custer High SchoolBraidwoodWillComets 19792019Illinois Central EightSandwich High SchoolSandwichDeKalbIndians 19852023Kishwaukee RiverSeneca High SchoolSenecaLaSalleFighting Irish 19792018Tri-CountyStreator Township High SchoolStreatorLaSalleBulldogs 20142019Illinois Central EightWestmont High SchoolWestmontDuPageSentinels 20062019Chicago PrepWilmington High SchoolWilmingtonWillWildcats 19792019Illinois Central EightYorkville High SchoolYorkvilleKendallFoxes 19791991Southwest Prairie
Membership Timeline
State titles
Football Football is based on an 8 class system since 2001.
Plano (2006 3A, 2007 3A) Coal City (1993 2A) Seneca (1990 2A) Wilmington (2014 3A)
Boys baseball Lisle (2013 2A) Wilmington (2003, 2005) Reed-Custer (1985) (2016) Herscher (1999) (2015)
Wrestling Wilmington (2007, 2008, 2009) Sandwich (1991, 1997, 1999, 2001) Reed-Custer (2010,2012)
Boys basketball Seneca (2005–06 A)
Boys golf Dwight (1980)
Boys soccer Lisle (2010 1A)
Girls soccer Manteno (2009 1A) Manteno (2014 1A)
Competitive cheerleading Dwight (2013) Wilmington(2016)
Competitive Dance Team Peotone (2012 1A)
Boys cross country Cross Country is based on a 3 class system since 2007. Seneca (1989 A) Kaneland (2019 AA)
Girls cross country Cross Country is based on a 3 class system since 2007. Herscher (1991 A, 1992 A, 1996 A)
Girls track and field Herscher (1996)
Girls softball Coal City (2010)
Girls volleyball Lisle (1985)
Scholastic Bowl Lisle (2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016 wins)
References
External links Interstate 8 Conference