How to Watch Ihsa Cheer State 2026: Live Stream, Schedule, and Team Roster Guide
Teams punch their tickets to Bloomington by surviving the gauntlet of IHSA sectional tournaments held across the state. Five sectionals, including host sites at Mascoutah, Belvidere, Rolling Meadows, Edwardsville, and Joliet West, feed the state bracket, sending their top five finishers in each category to Grossinger Motors Arena.
Small Division cheer continues to showcase technical brilliance from suburban and rural squads alike. Powerhouses like Byron, Carterville, and Johnsburg regularly register execution scores rivaling schools three times their student enrollment. In the Medium Division finals, programs such as Crystal Lake Central, Lemont, and Oak Forest bring extensive histories of trophy hardware, characterized by elite basket toss difficulty and clean standing back tuck combinations.
The Large Division qualifiers bring arena-shaking volume to Grossinger Motors Arena. Traditional heavyweights like Lockport Township, Marist, Lincoln-Way East, and Huntley push maximum stunt difficulty, fielding 20-plus athlete rosters that fill the spring floor from perimeter to perimeter. Meanwhile, the Coed Division championship features a blend of power tumbling, rewinds, and partner stunting, where schools like Conant, South Elgin, and Belvidere North push athletic limits with male bases elevating top girls in high-tempo sequences.
