Southern Illinois already has good pool leagues, and plenty of players with a national event on their calendar. So when I started Shawnee Cue Sports, the question was simple: what would make a team want to play here? Here’s what we came up with. Our first session starts in January 2027.
Win your session, go to Vegas
There’s no separate qualifying tournament. Win your session’s playoffs, and your team is going to the ACS National Championships in Las Vegas in May. The league pays your team entry and the hotel for your roster.
Playoff day is a round robin: the top three teams in the standings plus one wildcard, and every team plays the other three. A team that gets hot late in the season still has a way in.
We run two sessions a year, so that’s two shots every year. Second place isn’t left out either: the runner-up takes home $800, or the Vegas trip if the champion is already going.
Build your own fan club
Every team gets its own page on our website: a team photo, your story and your roster. Then your friends, family and regulars can get behind you.
- Honorary team shirts. Supporters can buy a shirt that matches your team’s, marked HONORARY. $10 of every shirt goes into your team’s travel fund, and their name can go on your team page.
- Your own team store. Put your team’s design on tees, hoodies, hats and tumblers. Everything is printed to order, so there’s nothing to buy up front or store, and 80% of the profit goes to your team’s travel fund.
The more people in your corner, the more your team has saved for its own trip, whether that’s Vegas or another ACS event.
Sponsors on your sleeves
Each team can carry two sponsors: your home bar and one local business, each with its logo on a sleeve. The sponsorship includes your team’s shirts, up to 8, and the front and back stay yours to design. Know a business owner who’d like their name in front of the league every week? Point them my way.
Awards worth bragging about
Along with plaques for the top two teams, Top Player, Top Lady and MVP, we hand out awards with some personality: The Assassin for knocking off higher-rated players, The Heartbreaker for the most heartbreaking close losses, Snakebit for the most losses to lower-rated players, and Drama Dawg, picked by the captains, for the biggest good-natured reactions in the league. That one comes with a dog figurine, and it only goes to a good sport: no broken sticks, no getting in anyone’s face.
You can also earn milestone patches for break and runs, table runs, shutouts and Perfect 50s (winning all five of your games in a night), starting with your very first. Your counts follow you across every session, with new patches as you climb.
Fair for every skill level
Every player gets an ACS CSR rating, and there’s a team skill cap each night, so newer players have a real seat at the table. Scores and standings are online through CompuSport, ACS’s league system.
Come meet us at the Kickoff Pool Crawl
Want a feel for the league before January? Join our League Kickoff Pool Crawl on Saturday, November 28, from 3 to 11 PM. It’s a 9-ball skill challenge at six bars: Carbondale Eagles in Carbondale, Freedom Bar in Hurst, Full House and the VFW in Herrin, The Ranch in Johnston City and Pookie’s in Marion. Start at any stop and go in either direction.
Every stop has its own scoring twist, from bank shots only to calling the 9. Your $30 entry gets you three attempts at each stop, and your best rack counts. The prize pool pays the top three overall, with bonuses for finishing all six stops and for the best rack at each bar. Follow the live leaderboard on your phone as the night goes. Register at shawneecuesports.com/crawl.
What it costs and how to get in
$10 per player, per night. Rosters hold up to 8, and 5 play each night. New ACS members pay $25 a year, which covers membership and your rating. Already an ACS member? Registration is free.
Sign-up is free at shawneecuesports.com/join. Looking for a team, want to captain one, or want to host at your bar? Reach out and I’ll help put it together.
— Scott
About the ACS: Shawnee Cue Sports is sanctioned by the American CueSports Alliance. Learn more about the ACS, its National Championships in Las Vegas and its events across the country at americancuesports.org.
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