Apollo Conference
The Apollo Conference is a high school athletic conference represented by 6 schools in the central portion of Illinois. It is a member of the Illinois High School Association.
The conference offers championships for girls in basketball, cross country, golf, softball, tennis, track & field, and volleyball. In boys' sports, the Apollo offers championships in baseball, basketball, cross country, football, golf, tennis, track & field, and wrestling.
History
The conference was formed in 1970 by charter members Charleston, Newton, Paris and Robinson who left from the Eastern Illinois Conference. In 1972 Decatur Lakeview and Mt. Zion joined the conference after departing the Cenois Conference. Effingham and Taylorville joined in 1981, leaving the Mid-State Conference. Lakeview closed in 1982, bringing the conference back to seven members. In 1993 Taylorville left to join the newly formed Central State Eight Conference. Olney and Salem joined from the North Egypt Conference, which was dissolved in 2003.Significant changes have occurred for the Apollo Conference. Founding members Newton and Robinson, as well as Olney, left for the Little Illini Conference in the 2012–13 school year. Mattoon joined the league in that same school year, departing from the Big 12 Conference. Teutopolis was invited to join the conference, but declined the invitation. The Taylorville Tornadoes rejoined the conference in 2014, while another Apollo founding school, Paris, left for the Little Illini Conference. In 2015, Corn Belt Conference member Mahomet-Seymour was accepted into the conference starting with the 2017–2018 school year. Later in the same year, Central State Eight conference member Lincoln was accepted to join in 2017–2018. Shortly after, Salem elected to join the Cahokia Conference in 2017–18. In 2023, Lincoln will leave the conference and head back to their previous league, The Central State Eight.
Geographical concerns and school enrollment has played a part in the switching between Apollo and Little Illini Conferences. Charleston is the only founding member of the conference to stay in the Apollo, while Newton, Paris and Robinson have moved into the LIC
Current members
| School | Location | Nickname | Colors | Affiliation | Enrollment 2022-23 | Year Joined | Previous conference | School Website |
| Charleston High School | Charleston, Illinois | Trojans | Scarlet and Gold | Public | 796 | 1970 | Eastern Illinois Conference | http://www.charleston.k12.il.us/chs/ |
| Effingham High School | Effingham, Illinois | Flaming Hearts | Red, White and Forest Green | Public | 736 | 1981 | Mid-State Conference | http://www.effingham.k12.il.us |
| Mahomet-Seymour High School | Mahomet, Illinois | Bulldogs | Orange and Navy | Public | 987 | 2017 | Corn Belt Conference | https://www.ms.k12.il.us/o/high-school |
| Mattoon High School | Mattoon, Illinois | Green Wave | Green and Gold | Public | 930 | 2012 | Big Twelve Conference | http://www.mattoon.k12.il.us |
| Mt. Zion High School | Mount Zion, Illinois | Braves | Red and White | Public | 763 | 1972 | Cenois Conference | http://www.mtzion.k12.il.us/pages/mtzion |
| Taylorville High School | Taylorville, Illinois | Tornadoes | Purple and Gold | Public | 756 | 1981, 2014 | Central State Eight Conference | http://www.tcusd3.org |
Former members
Membership timeline
DateFormat = yyyy
ImageSize = width:1150 height:auto barincrement:20
Period = from:1970 till:2024
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Colors = id:barcolor
id:line value:pink
id:bg value:white
id:Full value:rgb # Use this color to denote a team that is a member in all sports
id:FullxF value:rgb # Use this color to denote a team that is a member in all sports except for football
id:AssocF value:rgb # Use this color to denote a team that is a member with 8-man football
id:AssocOS value:rgb # Use this color to denote a team that is a member in a football coop
id:OtherC1 value:rgb # Use this color to denote a team that has moved to another conference
id:OtherC2 value:rgb # Use this color to denote a team that has consolidated
id:OtherC3 value:rgb # Use this color to denote a team that is a member in some sports, but not all
PlotData=
width:15 textcolor:black shift: anchor:from fontsize:m
bar:1 color:Full from:1970 till:end text:Charleston
bar:2 color:Full from:2003 till:2012 text:Olney
bar:2 color:OtherC3 from:2012 till:end text: Little Illini Conference
bar:3 color:Full from:1970 till:2014 text:Paris
bar:3 color:OtherC3 from:2014 till:end text: Little Illini Conference
bar:4 color:Full from:1970 till:2012 text:Robinson
bar:4 color:OtherC3 from:2012 till:end text: Little Illini Conference
bar:5 color:Full from:1970 till:2012 text:Newton
bar:5 color:OtherC3 from:2012 till:end text: Little Illini Conference
bar:6 color:Full from:2003 till:2017 text:Salem Community
bar:6 color:OtherC3 from:2017 till:end text: Cahokia Conference
bar:7 color:OtherC2 from:1970 till:1981 text:Effingham Mid-State Conference
bar:7 color:Full from:1981 till:end text:
bar:8 color:OtherC3 from:1970 till:1993 text:Lincoln Other Conference
bar:8 color:OtherC1 from:1993 till:2017 text: Central State Eight
bar:8 color:Full from:2017 till:2023 text:
bar:8 color:OtherC1 from:2023 till:end text:
bar:9 color:OtherC2 from:1970 till:2017 text:Mahomet-Seymour Corn Belt Conference
bar:9 color:Full from:2017 till:end text:
bar:10 color:OtherC2 from:1970 till:2012 text:Mattoon Big Twelve Conference
bar:10 color:Full from:2012 till:end text:
bar:11 color:OtherC2 from:1970 till:1972 text:Mt. Zion Cenois Conference
bar:11 color:Full from:1972 till:end text:
bar:12 color:OtherC3 from:1970 till:1981 text:Taylorville other conference
bar:12 color:Full from:1981 till:1993 text:
bar:12 color:OtherC1 from:1993 till:2014 text: Central State Eight
bar:12 color:Full from:2014 till:end text:
ScaleMajor = gridcolor:line unit:year increment:2 start:1970
TextData =
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text:^"Apollo Conference Membership History"
- > If the chart uses more than one bar color, add a legend by selecting the appropriate fields from the following six options Leave a blank line after the end of the timeline, then add a line with the selected values from the list, separated by a space. <#