The truly interesting things are more likely in the smaller classes. There are 54 co-op host football teams, with 70 schools that feed into the co-ops. I will use Hoopeston Area as my example. The Cornjerkers have an enrollment of 365, a solid mid-2A enrollment. But they co-op football with Armstrong (134) and Danville Schlarman (108), for a co-op enrollment of just over 600 - a solid 4A enrollment. The nearest 4A schools are Kankakee McNamara, about an hour to the north, Tolono Unity, an hour southwest, and Rantoul, about 45 minutes west. Hoopeston has been a member of the 1A/2A Vermillion Valley for quite some time, and was with the Sangamon Valley schools in the past. The Cornjerkers have not made the playoffs since 1993 despite being a 4A school in a conference of 2A and 1A schools. But it is a logical conference for other sports and traditional rivals, so they can do it. But do they keep the co-ops if they end up driving all over the state. Soucie has them in a district with Quincy, on the Mississippi, in 4A...A 3A conference still has them driving a long way. But dropping both co-ops leaves them with a number of nearby 2A schools...
But can they support football without the co-ops? Do they go 8 man?
Or Iroquois West, who sits on the 1A/2A border most years in a conference with neighboring 2A schools in the Sangamon Valley. Do they petition up to 2A to stick with their traditional rivals?
