The Mid State Conference was a high school conference in central Illinois. The conference participated in athletics and activities in the Illinois High School Association. The conference comprised 15 small public high schools, with enrollments between 60 and 340 students in Iroquois, LaSalle, Livingston, McLean, Tazewell, and Woodford counties.
History The first year of competition for the Mid State was 1949 with eight charter schools: Chenoa, Cornell, El Paso, Fairbury, Flanagan, Gridley, Lexington and Minonk-Dana. In 1951, Fairbury merged with Cropsey High School and remained in the conference as Fairbury-Cropsey High School. Additionally, in 1955, Minonk-Dana consolidated with Rutland High School, again, maintaining a league with eight school. Unfortunately, in 1957, Fairbury-Cropsey left for the short-lived United Conference. For seven years the conference maintained seven schools, however in 1964, Streator Woodland joined the league. Cornell dropped football in 1971, but Deer Creek-Mackinaw was added in 1972 to round out the league again with eight. Gridley dropped football briefly in 1984, but resumed the program in 1986. Cornell would consolidate their enrollment into Flanagan High School in 1987, reducing the number of schools to seven, again. In 1992, Minonk-Dana-Rutland consolidated with a neighboring districts Toluca, and Wenona to become known as Fieldcrest, but remained in the Mid State.
For over 40 years the Mid State Conference maintained seven or eight schools with very few exceptions, however in 1995, Cullom Tri-Point and Tremont joined the league taking the total to 10. Additionally, Colfax Ridgeview and Heyworth would join in 1997, taking the total number of schools to 12. The league would remain at 12 until 2004 when El Paso and Gridley consolidated and Chenoa High School consolidated with Prairie Central. Prairie Central already included a former league member, Fairbury-Cropsey, who in 1985 consolidated with Forrest-Strawn-Wing High School and Chatsworth High Schools.
In the early 2000s, talks began to join forces with the Sangamon Valley Conference in order to create a league with divisions based on enrollment. This conference would be known as the Heart of Illinois and was formed in 2006, thus ending the 56 year old run for the Mid State.
All-time membership School Location Mascot Colors County Year Joined Year Left Still Open Consolidated / School Conference Joined Chenoa High School Chenoa, Illinois Redbirds McLean 1949 2004 Yes Yes / Prairie Central Corn Belt Cornell High School Cornell, Illinois Cardinals Livingston 1949 1987 No Yes / Flanagan-Cornell — Flanagan High School Flanagan, Illinois Falcons Livingston 1949 1987 Yes Yes / Flanagan-Cornell — Flanagan-Cornell High School Flanagan, Illinois Falcons Livingston 1987 2006 Yes No Heart of Illinois El Paso High School El Paso, Illinois Comets McLean 1949 2004 Yes Yes / El Paso-Gridley Heart of Illinois Gridley High School Gridley, Illinois Redskins McLean 1949 2004 No Yes / El Paso-Gridley Heart of Illinois Fairbury High School Fairbury, Illinois Tartars Livingston 1949 1951 Yes Yes / Fairbury-Cropsey — Fairbury-Cropsey High School Fairbury, Illinois Tartars Livingston 1951 1957 Yes Yes / Prairie Central United Lexington High School Lexington, Illinois Minutemen McLean 1949 2006 Yes No Heart of Illinois Minonk-Dana High School Minonk, Illinois Mohawks Woodford 1949 1955 Yes Yes / Minonk-Dana-Rutland Heart of Illinois Minonk-Dana-Rutland High School Minonk, Illinois Mohawks Woodford 1955 1992 Yes Yes / Fieldcrest Heart of Illinois Fieldcrest High School Minonk, Illinois Knights Woodford 1992 2006 Yes No Heart of Illinois Woodland High School Streator, Illinois Warriors Livingston 1964 2006 Yes No Tri-County Deer Creek-Mackinaw High School Mackinaw, Illinois Chiefs Tazewell 1972 2006 Yes No Heart of Illinois Tri-Point High School Cullom, Illinois Chargers Livingston 1995 2006 Yes No Sangamon Valley Tremont High School Tremont, Illinois Turks Tazewell 1995 2006 Yes No Heart of Illinois Ridgeview High School Colfax, Illinois Mustangs McLean 1997 2006 Yes No Heart of Illinois Heyworth High School Heyworth, Illinois Hornets McLean 1997 2006 Yes No Heart of Illinois Sources:IHSA Conferences, and IHSA Member Schools Directory A History of Minonk Schools
Membership timeline
Sources:Illinois High School Glory Days,
References
External links Flanagan-Cornell High School El Paso-Gridley High School Prairie Central High School Lexington High School Fieldcrest High School Woodland High School Deer-Creek Mackinaw High School Tri-Point High School Tremont High School Ridgeview High School Heyworth High School