The Illinois High School Association will limit co-op teams with a combined enrollment over 3,500 students beginning in the 2026–27 school year, a change aimed at addressing competitive balance across the state.
The issue emerged as some schools formed co-op teams by combining athletes from multiple schools, leading to concerns that those programs held an advantage due to their larger pool of athletes. According to IHSA officials, frustration was especially apparent in smaller-participation sports like gymnastics.
IHSA Associate Executive Director Matt Troha said the concern first became noticeable in certain sports, particularly gymnastics.
“It started, I think, mainly in the sport of girls’ gymnastics. I think there was a level of frustration with some of our member schools over some co-ops in that sport, because it doesn’t have as many participating schools — maybe around 65. And some of the co-ops have four schools whose overall enrollment, I think, reaches close to 7,000 or 8,000 students,” Troha said.
The new policy places a cap on co-op teams with a combined enrollment above 3,500 students. Under the rule, according to Troha, teams above that threshold may still compete, but they will not earn team points in postseason competition, meaning athletes can advance individually but the team itself cannot place.
At the local level, West Chicago’s co-op swimming program includes athletes from Geneva and Batavia. Based on reported enrollment figures – West Chicago (1,973), Geneva (1,594), and Batavia (1,632) – the combined total exceeds 5,000 students, placing the program above the new IHSA threshold.
West Chicago athletic director Nick Parry said the team will remain structured as it is now, despite the change.
“[The policy] changes the way that our team is scored at a sectional and a state for swim and for any co-ops that exist where the combined enrollment of the schools is more than 3,500 students,” Parry said. “But we are still keeping everything the way that it has been set up the past couple years.”
Parry emphasized that maintaining the co-op structure is important for participation and team culture, noting that smaller, independent teams may struggle to field a full lineup.
“In the past couple years, we’ve had about eight to 10 kids on the team,” Parry said. “If we were to cut ties, it would greatly affect everything that happens now… when there’s more people, you can develop more friendships, more connections. That’s a big part of what drives what we do.”
As schools across Illinois evaluate the impact of the policy ahead of its implementation, programs like West Chicago’s will need to balance competitive considerations with the benefits of maintaining established co-op teams.
