IHSA Cheer State 2027, IHSA Competitive Cheer and IHSA Cheerleading Rules, Divisions, Dates and Cut Lines
Illinois competitive cheer runs on a short clock. Practice opens October 26, sectionals are January 30, and the scoring rubric changed in June. Here is every date, limit and penalty in the 2026-27 state series, the scores it took to make finals last February, and what to do about it.
Read from IHSA's 2026-27 Terms and Conditions, manual, scoring documents and 2026 results.
2026-27 in four numbers
- Nov 1
- entry
- Dec 11
- roster list
- Jan 30
- sectionals
- Feb 5
- State
The short answer
IHSA cheer is the Illinois High School Association's competitive cheerleading state series. For 2026-27, schools enter by November 1, 2026, submit the List of Participants by December 11, compete at one of five sectionals on January 30, 2027, and the top five per division advance to the State Final on February 5 and 6, 2027 at Grossinger Motors Arena in Bloomington. Divisions are 1A, 2A and 3A by school enrollment plus Coed. Routines are 3 minutes with up to 2:15 of music, scored out of 100 under NFHS Spirit Rules. In 2026 it took 88.00 to 92.04 in prelims to make the top 10 finals.
IHSA cheer 2026-27 dates and deadlines, in order
Fourteen weeks separate the first legal practice from sectionals. Every date below comes from the 2026-27 Terms and Conditions or the manual for schools.
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Oct 26
2026
Practice may begin
First contest allowed November 2.
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Nov 1
2026
Entry deadline
Online in the IHSA Schools Center. Late entry costs $100.
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Nov 15
2026
Coed declared
Two or more males on the floor means Coed.
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Dec 11
2026
List of Participants
Due by midnight with team photo. Free withdrawal ends.
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Jan 30
2027
Sectionals
Five sites. Top five per division advance.
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Feb 2
2027
Hotel confirmed
IHSA courtesy blocks, schools pay.
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Feb 5 to 6
2027
State Final
Bloomington. Prelims Friday, top 10 finals Saturday.
Withdrawing after December 11 costs $100, and entering but not showing up costs $500. The State Final coaches' meeting is now a recorded video emailed to qualifiers, which each head coach is responsible for watching before Friday.
IHSA cheer divisions go by school size, not team size
Until 2025 the divisions were called Small, Medium and Large, which made them sound like team sizes. Since the 2026 series they are 1A, 2A and 3A, and the Terms and Conditions set them by school enrollment under IHSA Policy 17. A school can ask to play up by September 1.
The practical effect: a 600 student school competes in 1A even if it puts 20 athletes on the floor, and a 3A school must field at least 12. Every division shares the same 20 athlete ceiling and the same 26 athlete roster.
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| Division | Who enters | On the floor | 2026 schools |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1A | Enrollment up to 700 | 5 to 20 | 78 |
| 2A | Enrollment 700.01 to 1,600 | 8 to 20 | 82 |
| 3A | Enrollment above 1,600 | 12 to 20 | 81 |
| Coed | Two or more males on the floor, any enrollment | Minimum set by enrollment, up to 20 | 52 |
- Roster up to 26 on the List of Participants; alternates on the list may be used at any time.
- A mascot counts toward the 20. Falling below the floor minimum is a 1 point deduction, unless an on-floor injury caused it.
- New for 2026-27: bench alternates must wear school issued uniforms or warm-ups.
- 293 schools entered the 2026 series. The record is 352, in 2011.
What it took to make IHSA cheer state finals in 2026
Twenty five teams per division perform Friday, and ten come back Saturday. We pulled the 2026 preliminary and final results for every division. The number that matters for planning is the tenth place prelim score, because that is the line between one day in Bloomington and two.
1A
88.00
10th place in prelims, the last spot in finals
Champion Breese (Central), 91.92
Finals range 85.30 to 91.92
2A
90.20
10th place in prelims, the last spot in finals
Champion Morris, 96.60
Finals range 89.50 to 96.60
3A
91.76
10th place in prelims, the last spot in finals
Champion Lincoln-Way East, 97.92
Finals range 88.92 to 97.92
Coed
92.04
10th place in prelims, the last spot in finals
Champion Hersey, 96.68
Finals range 90.48 to 96.68
Medals are decided inside a point
In 3A, first to third was 97.92, 97.00 and 96.88. In Coed, second place was a tie at 96.04. One missed stunt skill is a full point.
Bigger schools, higher lines
The finals line rose by division, from 88.00 in 1A to about 92 in 3A and Coed. A 3A routine that would medal in 1A may not survive Friday.
Ties are never broken
Every team tied for a qualifying place advances, at sectionals and at State, and tied placers get duplicate awards.
2026 State Final, February 6 and 7, 2026, preliminary and final rounds as published on TourneyWire and confirmed against IHSA's champions and runners-up list. IHSA scores comparatively within each division on the day, so these lines move from year to year.
IHSA competitive cheer rules for the routine itself
The NFHS Spirit Rules are the minimum safety standard for the whole state series, and our NFHS cheer rules page covers this season's changes to them. IHSA then sets the competition limits below.
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| Rule | 2026-27 limit | What it means in practice |
|---|---|---|
| Routine length | 3 minutes total | One routine per team, timed from first movement, voice or note to the last. 3 seconds of grace on two stopwatches. |
| Music | Up to 2 minutes 15 seconds | Raised from 2:00 this season. A mix cut for last year leaves 15 seconds unused. Coach starts and stops it, with a backup. |
| Floor | 54 by 42 feet, 9 strips | Mats run toward the panel. Stepping on the white line is legal; an entire body part off the mat is 0.25. |
| Props | Poms, signs, school flags or banners, megaphones | Used to lead the crowd, set down safely. Glitter on signs only if laminated or sealed. Nothing else. |
| Uniforms | School issued, school name or mark visible | No advertising, maker logo 2 1/4 square inches at most, solid briefs, no jewelry, short nails, hair off the face. |
| Entrances and exits | Not part of the routine | A 2026-27 point of emphasis. Keep them simple and unchoreographed. |
| Warm up | 7 minutes at sectionals, 8 at State | Three stations of 2, 3 and 9 mats, no skill limits beyond NFHS. |
| Coaches | Up to 4 on the list | Must meet IHSA By-law 2.070 and pass the concussion exam. Four coaching passes at State. |
Music copyright is the school's problem, not IHSA's: the Terms and Conditions say the Association assumes no responsibility for royalty fees, and the resources page points coaches to licensed music sources. If you are paying for a custom mix this season, our custom cheer music prices page compares published rate cards.
How IHSA cheer is scored, and the rubric change that matters most
The sheet is 100 points: jumps, tumbling, pyramids or tosses and partner stunts at 10 for difficulty plus 5 for execution each, then motions and dance, projection and showmanship, skill utilization and routine composition at 10 each. Sectionals use three panel and three technical officials per division, State uses five and three, and the sheets are averaged before deductions.
The change: IHSA's June 18, 2026 rubric no longer asks whether "a majority of the team" performed a skill. It uses a chart of required minimums by how many athletes are on the floor. Going from 15 to 16 athletes, for example, adds a third stunt group, a third toss and a ninth tumbler at once. Miss a minimum and difficulty in that category is held to 5.0 to 6.0.
Read the IHSA cheer score sheet, minimums chart and deductions60
points on the four skill categories
40
points on performance categories
2
points for a pyramid collapse or major fall
5
points for a major NFHS legality
Other deductions on the 2026-27 form: missed stunt skill 1, incomplete tumbling 0.25 or 0.50, boundary 0.25, music or total overtime 1 each, Terms and Conditions violation 1, minor NFHS legality 1.
What changed in IHSA competitive cheer for 2026-27
The advisory committee met on March 4, 2026 and the Board approved the Terms and Conditions that followed. These are the changes a coach will actually feel, plus one proposal that failed.
Music goes to 2:15
Up from 2:00 inside the same 3 minute routine, to give teams reset time between skills.
Required minimums replace majority
Difficulty now depends on a fixed count of athletes per skill, set by floor count, with new toss and partner stunt numbers.
Small team stunt cap
Teams of seven or fewer who miss the stunt minimum are capped at 6.0, 7.0, 8.0 or 9.0 for stunt difficulty.
Pike is not layout
NFHS definitions were added so a piked skill is no longer credited as a layout.
Bench in uniform
Alternates on the bench must wear school issued uniforms or warm-ups.
Recorded coaches meeting
The State Final coaches meeting is a video emailed to qualifiers. Sectional managers may do the same.
Not approved: raising the coach limit from four to five, or giving each State team 32 passes to share among athletes and staff. A program with a head coach, two assistants and a tumbling coach is already at the cap.
What the IHSA cheer state series costs a school and a family
Unlike Texas, where UIL charges $275 to $625 to enter spirit state, IHSA publishes no entry fee for competitive cheer. The money is in penalties, travel and tickets. A parent who watches all three State sessions pays $36 before parking.
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| Item | Amount | Who pays |
|---|---|---|
| Entry | No fee published | School |
| Late entry after November 1 | $100 | School |
| Withdrawal after December 11 | $100 plus losses | School |
| No-show | $500 plus losses | School |
| Late List of Participants | Up to $100, possible ineligibility | School |
| Sectional ticket | $8 digital, $10 cash | Spectator |
| State Final ticket | $12 per session, three sessions | Spectator |
| Hotel, bus, meals | All of it | School or families |
Compare it with the other state series we have mapped: the UIL spirit state championship in Texas and the GHSA cheer rules in Georgia.
How an Illinois program turns the rules into a plan
Fourteen weeks, a floor count that changes the difficulty math, and a List of Participants that locks who can compete. The programs that make Saturday know three numbers early: how many athletes can land each skill, which floor count those skills support, and how many practices are left before January 30.
Skill tracking
Skill counts per level
Each athlete's jumps, passes and stunt roles on their record, so the count of back handsprings or tucks is a filter you run against the minimums chart.
Practice planner
A 14 week practice plan
Timed blocks from October 26 to January 30, weighted toward the categories where your mock score is weakest.
Season calendar
Every IHSA date on one calendar
Entry, Coed, List of Participants, sectionals, hotel and State next to the football and basketball games the squad still cheers.
Tryout scoring
Tryouts that feed the roster
Digital tryout score sheets, so the 26 names you submit December 11 come with a record of why.
A single competitive squad runs on the Team plan at $29 a month. A program with varsity, JV and a sideline squad uses the Program plan at $79 a month for up to five teams and three coach seats, with tryout scoring included. See pricing or the cheerleading app for school teams.
When is IHSA cheer state 2027?
The 2027 IHSA Competitive Cheerleading State Final is Friday and Saturday, February 5 and 6, 2027 at Grossinger Motors Arena in Bloomington. Friday holds the preliminary rounds, 1A and 2A in the morning session and 3A and Coed in the afternoon. The top 10 in each division return for Saturday's finals, with awards for the top three.
How do you qualify for IHSA cheer state?
Finish in the top five of your division at your sectional on Saturday, January 30, 2027. IHSA runs five sectionals, so 25 teams reach the State Final in each division, plus any extra team from a tie for fifth. If a qualifier withdraws or is disqualified, the next team from the same sectional moves up.
What are the IHSA cheer divisions?
There are four. 1A is for schools with enrollment up to 700, 2A for 700.01 to 1,600, and 3A for more than 1,600. Coed is for any team with two or more males on the floor, regardless of enrollment, and must be declared by November 15. Divisions follow school enrollment, not team size.
How many cheerleaders can be on an IHSA competitive cheer team?
A team may roster up to 26 athletes and put up to 20 on the competition floor in every division. The floor minimum is 12 in 3A, 8 in 2A and 5 in 1A; the Coed minimum follows the school's enrollment. A mascot counts toward the maximum, and dropping below the minimum is a 1 point deduction.
How long is an IHSA competitive cheer routine?
Three minutes at most, of which up to 2:15 may be music. The music allowance went up from 2:00 for the 2026-27 season. Timing runs from the first movement, voice or note to the last, and officials allow 3 seconds of grace on two stopwatches before the 1 point overtime deduction.
How is IHSA competitive cheer scored?
On a 100 point sheet. Jumps, tumbling, pyramids or tosses and partner stunts are each worth 10 for difficulty and 5 for execution; motions and dance, projection and showmanship, skill utilization and routine composition are worth 10 each. Officials' sheets are averaged and deductions come off the average. Ties are never broken.
What score do you need to make IHSA cheer finals?
In 2026 the tenth and last team into Saturday's finals scored 88.00 in 1A, 90.20 in 2A, 91.76 in 3A and 92.04 in Coed in the Friday preliminaries. Scores are comparative within each division on the day, so the line moves every year, but a 3A or Coed team below 92 has historically been close to it.
Is there an entry fee for the IHSA cheer state series?
No entry fee appears in the 2026-27 Terms and Conditions or the manual. The costs are penalties and travel: $100 for a late entry, $100 for withdrawing after December 11, $500 for not showing up, and up to $100 for a late List of Participants. Schools pay their own hotel, transport and meals.
How much are tickets to IHSA cheer state?
State Final tickets are $12 per session, and there are three sessions over the two days. GoFan digital tickets are not used at State; the arena may sell digital tickets with its own fees. At sectionals tickets are $8 digital through GoFan or $10 cash. A baby in arms is free, and there are no refunds.
What rules does IHSA cheer follow?
IHSA competitive cheer follows the current NFHS Spirit Rules, which the Terms and Conditions call the minimum safety guide. On top of that IHSA sets its own limits: a 54 by 42 foot nine strip floor, only poms, signs, flags, banners and megaphones as props, school issued uniforms with no advertising, and no jewelry.
Keep building the season
IHSA cheer score sheet
The 100 point sheet, the required minimums chart and every deduction for 2026-27.
NFHS cheerleading rules 2026-27
The national safety rules IHSA plays under, with this season's changes.
Cheerleading score sheet
How score sheets work across governing bodies, and how to use one in practice.
Cheerleading stunts by level
Stunt names and progressions, useful when the rubric counts stunt groups.
Cheer practice schedule
Days and hours a week by program type, including winter competition squads.
Apps for cheer coaches
The general team apps next to the cheer specific ones, with prices.
Game day, every day
Know your cut line math before January 30
Skill counts per athlete, a timed practice plan to sectionals, every IHSA deadline on the season calendar and tryout scoring for the roster.
Takes 30 seconds. No credit card needed.