The Apollo Conference and Illini Prairie Conference will merge for a football conference for one year only in an effort to creatively solve a scheduling problem.

The Apollo conference has seven members, which means each school has an open date in the upcoming seven-game spring schedule.

The Illini Prairie Conference has nine members, enough to complete a seven-game schedule. However, many of the schools have a gap in their schedule because St. Thomas More has decided to drop down to 8-man football.

Athletic directors and coaches from each school came together to solve each other's problem.

WEEK 1 - MT. ZION @ IVC

WEEK 2 - PRAIRIE CENTRAL @ EFFINGHAM

WEEK 3 - PONTIAC @ TAYLORVILLE

WEEK 4 - RANTOUL @ LINCOLN

WEEK 5 - SJO @ CHARLESTON

WEEK 6 - MATTOON @ MONTICELLO

WEEK 7 - MAHOMET-SEYMOUR @ UNITY