I believe the Greater Nebraska Athletic Conference (GNAC) dissolved in 2013ish if I recall correctly.
Lewis & Clark Conference
- Thread starter nenebskers
- Start date
GNAC was for sure still having events as of 2022.
There was a GNAC swim meet a month ago
Prep recap: Scottsbluff.Gering boys finish second at weekend GNAC swim meet
Seacats' senior Wisley Mooc won the boys 100 free in 48.75 seconds, an automatic qualifying time for state. Scottsbluff/Gering placed fourth in the seven-team girls field.
We do have a Greater Nebraska Athletic Conference....sort of. The only school that still identifies with that conference is North Platte.
Scottsbluff - Western
Gering - Western
Columbus - Heartland
Hastings - EMC
McCook - SWC
I am not sure when this conference "disbanded." I know that some of the schools still had a sort of dual conference membership and had a "tournament" if you can call it that with a few teams. But to my knowledge there aren't any events under the Greater Nebraska Athletic Conference title anymore.
So is this how these conferences will look in 24-25?
Niobrara Valley Conference (8)
(West Holt, Elkhorn Valley, Neligh-Oakdale and Summerland move out)
Boyd County
Chambers/Wheeler Central
Elgin/Elgin Pope John
Niobrara/Verdigre
North Central
O'Neill St. Mary's
Santee
Stuart
Lewis & Clark Conference (13)
(Hartington-Newcastle, LCC, Plainview move out)
Bloomfield
Creighton
Homer
Osmond
Ponca
Randolph
Tri County Northeast
Wakefield
Walthill
Wausa
Winnebago
Winside
Wynot
Lutheran High Northeast leaves the ranks of independent to the new conference that consists of...
Greater Northeast Athletic Conference (New Conference)
Elkhorn Valley
Hartington-Newcastle
LCC
Lutheran High Northeast
Neligh-Oakdale
Plainview
Summerland
West Holt
Niobrara Valley Conference (8)
(West Holt, Elkhorn Valley, Neligh-Oakdale and Summerland move out)
Boyd County
Chambers/Wheeler Central
Elgin/Elgin Pope John
Niobrara/Verdigre
North Central
O'Neill St. Mary's
Santee
Stuart
Lewis & Clark Conference (13)
(Hartington-Newcastle, LCC, Plainview move out)
Bloomfield
Creighton
Homer
Osmond
Ponca
Randolph
Tri County Northeast
Wakefield
Walthill
Wausa
Winnebago
Winside
Wynot
Lutheran High Northeast leaves the ranks of independent to the new conference that consists of...
Greater Northeast Athletic Conference (New Conference)
Elkhorn Valley
Hartington-Newcastle
LCC
Lutheran High Northeast
Neligh-Oakdale
Plainview
Summerland
West Holt
Ponca will be in Midstates, and Wakefield will be in the East Husker starting in 2024 as well. So the Lewis & Clark look like this:
Bloomfield
Creighton
Homer
Osmond
Randolph
Tri County Northeast
Walthill
Wausa
Winnebago
Winside
Wynot
If I'm Niobrara/Verdigree and/or the Lewis and Clark Conferenece, I'd consider having a discussion. With the confernece losing many of the larger schools and those that were more located to the east, Niobrara/Verdigre becomes a better fit than ever before. This would put the conference at 12 schools and 10 if Winnebago and Walthill ever go independent. Unfortunately the Niobrara Valley really starts to fold at that point.
I think NV is a solid fit in the L&C Conference, but I don't know that an almost two hour drive to Winnebago would be ideal for either school. Now maybe that isn't a huge issue, and if that's the case then I agree they should reach out and have a discussion.
I have a hard time seeing Walthill or Winnebago going independent. I would imagine that scheduling would become extremely difficult for both of them if they weren't tied to a conference that requires teams to play them. If you look at this year alone;
Walthill boys are a state qualifying team, but their girls go 4-14. Not many schools are going to want to take that on if they aren't in the same conference. Volleyball, Walthill goes 4-25 with their wins against Boys Town, Santee, and Whiting Iowa. Without a conference, not sure who is willingly scheduling them.
Bago's basketball teams have had a good stretch where being a C1 team they will attract some opponents that want to schedule them, but for volleyball that would be a huge struggle. They went 6-23 this year, and again, without a conference they would struggle to find games.
I think there are 3 schools that the L&C should reach out to: Bancroft Rosalie, Lyons Decatur NE, and Omaha Nation.
The drive from Niobrara to Winnebago is the same as Niobrara to Bassett. Unless the L&C changes, teams are not required to play everyone. Hopefully that changes however as IMO I don't like high schools being in a conference and not scheduling everyone in the regular season.
Your spot on about the Native schools. Their girls programs make it so hard to schedule them. The reason I think maybe they'd go independent at some point is mostly driven by their enrollments continuing to grow while all other conference members are declining. I guess I'm looking at it more from the existing schools not wanting them. At the same time I cant imagine a small school conference kicking a member out. Secondly, with the All Native Football league I wonder if they start to schedule in more of a similar fashion for basketball in the future. Its already common for them to go to large All Native tournaments in South Dakota.
Bancroft left the L&C about 10 years ago. Can't imagine them ever coming back. They seem like a good fit enrollment wise and geographically with the East Husker. Omaha Nation submitted a request to the L&C a few years ago and it failed miserably. I think only Winnebago and Walthill voted yes. Maybe it would change now that they are at 11 schools. I agree Lyons Decateur would be a decent option. Would it be appealing to LD at all? Moving to the L&C would probably be more travel for them but also maybe more of a fit for them to compete for Conference Championships.
I thought I had read somewhere recently the conference still contests sports where there are individual competitions (i.e. golf, swimming, track) but no team tournament (basketball, volleyball, etc.)
False on the Omaha Nation vote by the Lewis & Clark.
The September 2019 minutes of the L&C Conference show that the vote to add Omaha Nation was 11 for and 4 against.
That motioned failed because 2/3 of the TOTAL membership was needed to add them.
The missing two schools could have cast the votes to ultimately add them, but they weren’t in attendance.
Good thing I said I think, whew. LOL
Thanks for going back and checking. I do remember it being odd now. According to the minutes, the meeting started at 4:30 with Creighton and Wausa missing. The vote happened, not passing by 2/3 majority, then Creighton and Wausa walked in at 4:40. Who were the four schools that voted no? Assuming the four were Knox County schools? Regardless, what happened appears on the surface a little shady.
I was obviously wrong. Would Omaha Nation try again? Seems like it would be worth a shot based off that previous vote. But, I'm assuming those no votes were from Knox County who all still remain except Plainview.
BR is a good fit in the EHC. They made the right choice is joining that league. Lyons-Decatur is in a tough spot with their geography. Do they still only have one gym? With their recent struggles, I wonder if they are losing kids to OC and BR? Really wish O-C and L-D would have merged 10 years ago.
This is unlikely, but would the EHC entertain Winnebago? They play Pender, B-R, O-C and Wakefield in the regular season. They play LVSS or WPB in districts nearly every year.
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