For a while, it looked like Bertrand and Loomis would have to coop for everything but I think their populations have somewhat "stabilized", allowing for them to only coop on the things class d schools typically coop for.
Possible conference shakeup?
- Thread starter kaz36
- Start date
I’d love to see them consolidate someday. I think they would be a force in C2.
I wonder why Blair wasn't approached by the Trailblazer Conference? They are pretty dang similar to Beatrice and Plattsmouth.
The Trailblazer will take Ashland-Greenwood as a 7th member and then try to find 1 more. Maybe Crete, Seward, or DC West. This will be in the next year or two. Blair and Beatrice being in the same conference doesn't make any sense (115 miles), but neither does Blair and Norris (98 miles). Keep the EMC together with Elkhorn, Elkhorn North, Blair, Bennington, Gretna 1, Gretna 2, Waverly, and Norris. That is assuming that when Gretna 2 opens it brings Gretna back down to class B...similar to what happened with Elkhorn when Elk South opened.
Great move by the Dusters. Being in the same league with McCook, Gothenburg, Cozad, Broken Bow makes a lot of sense.
Does Hastings High ask to join the Central 10 now?
Poor Valentine and Ainsworth just adding to their ridiculous conference travel.
They should not be members of the SOUTHWEST conference. They need to leave an join a northern conference.
Ainsworth should be in the Niobrara Valley, especially with how small their enrollment is becoming.
I don't know about Valentine, they are just such a loner out there in extreme North Central Nebraska. Their declining enrollment probably helps thems fit in with another conference closer by a guess.
Malcolm must be expecting some pretty significant growth and the other schools must be thinking the same about them. They have been growing but have a long ways to go to get to the level of their new conference competition. We're talking double, triple, and even more to match some of the other schools.
Ralston seems like a bit of a strange mix for the conference to me. I suppose they are land locked and will never get much larger than they are. Still just feels wierd to have a large class B Metro school in with those others.
Absolutely Ainsworth needs to move on be in the NVC. They do not fit in the Southwest Conference. Valentine is in a lose lose. Maybe SPVA?
What I would like to see is a Northern Conference.
Northern Nebraska Conference (8 teams)**
West Holt
Chambers/Wheeler Central
Stuart
St. Mary’s
North Central
Boyd County
Ainsworth
Valentine
Malcolm has to build more buildings. They must be expecting major growth. So many Lincoln students opt in to Malcolm, which is why a bond issue could be interesting to watch.
Not sure about Stuart long term. Their numbers are dwindling but the town has been doing some really good things so it will be interesting to see if they rebound.
Was thinking Summerland and Burwell would be a fit instead of Stuart and CWC. Burwell would probably never go for it as it would increase travel IMO.
We all know Stuart just needs accept their fate and merge with West Holt.
I never thought of Burwell. They are the biggest school in their conference next to Fullerton. They are the furthest west too.
I made a conference reorganization thread back in April and thought of this….
Niobrara Valley Conference (13 teams, steals teams from the Lewis and Clark)
Bloomfield*
Wausa*
Osmond*
Creighton*
Elgin-Elgin PJ
Elkhorn Valley
Neligh-Oakdale
Niobrara-Verdigre
Santee
Summerland
Lutheran High Northeast
Plainview*
Northern Nebraska Conference (8 teams)**
West Holt
Chambers/Wheeler Central
Stuart
St. Mary’s
North Central
Boyd County
Ainsworth
Valentine
Malcolm will continue to be the same size until they add on or pass a bond. They have lines out in front of their administrative building the night before option opens. All 4 classes are full. I think their class sizes are maxed out at 50-55, which means an addition to their existing building would likely be the only way they can accommodate additional students. Great people at Malcolm, great location, and a nice little community.
Will the big numbers continue to opt into Malcolm when they are driving by a brand new Lincoln Air Park (ok, Northwest, ugh) to do it? Trailblazer seems to think yes.
The Holdrege move just makes things more interesting. The next big move belongs to LPS; do they want their own conference? Of course, the plan is for Northwest by the Air Park and Standing Bear to be Class B for maybe a decade. Do those schools look for a temporary home or dive right into the HAC?
This thread is so good. I read it all again when it popped up. The Metro is so interesting. I believe it is pretty unique nationally. Other cities are much more likely to have an urban league, a suburban one, and a Catholic one. If anyone actually involved in the Metro thinks it is anywhere near too big, they are keeping it very quiet.
The Holdrege move just makes things more interesting. The next big move belongs to LPS; do they want their own conference? Of course, the plan is for Northwest by the Air Park and Standing Bear to be Class B for maybe a decade. Do those schools look for a temporary home or dive right into the HAC?
This thread is so good. I read it all again when it popped up. The Metro is so interesting. I believe it is pretty unique nationally. Other cities are much more likely to have an urban league, a suburban one, and a Catholic one. If anyone actually involved in the Metro thinks it is anywhere near too big, they are keeping it very quiet.
The Metro to me is insanely large. Long overdue for a metro and suburban breakup. Especially now with the new schools in Gretna, Elkhorn, and growth in Bennington and possibly Papio in the future. Heck, it might be ready for 3 conferences before we know it.
I also would love to see LPS plus Pius be on there own. Could Norfolk, South Sioux, Fremont, Columbus, Hastings, Kearney, North Platte, maybe even Scottsbluff etc...on their own? Not sure what to do with Grand Island though. They are so large comparable to the rest but also not a geographic fit with Lincoln only conference.
8 Public Lincoln Schools in their own conference
Lincoln Northwest
Lincoln Northeast
Lincoln Northstar
Lincoln High
Lincoln Southeast
Lincoln Southwest
Lincoln East
Lincoln Standing Bear
Split the Metro Conference
Omaha North
Omaha South
Omaha Central
Omaha Bryan
Omaha Benson
Omaha Burke
Omaha Northwest
Westside
Creighton Prep/Omaha Marian
***Omaha Beuna Vista and Omaha Westview likely enter here when they are big enough.
Bellevue East
Bellevue West
Papillion-LaVista
Papillion-LaVista South
Millard North
Millard South
Millard West
Gretna
Elkhorn South
***Gretna East, Elkhorn, Elkhorn North are candidates here once they get their numbers.
That leaves several schools at the bottom of class A enrollment/top of class B enrollment. The exception, as mentioned before, is Grand Island. You could insert Pius to get the 12th school and split them east/west.
East
West
Scottsbluff
North Platte
Kearney
Grand Island
Hastings
Lexington
Columbus
Fremont
Norfolk
South Sioux City
Ralston
Pius
Maybe you leave Ralston in the Trailblazer and leave Lexington....5 teams in east, 5 teams in west.
Nebraska is such a unique state because it is top 15 in square mileage/land mass, but 1.1 million of the 1.9 million people in the state live in Douglas, Lancaster, or Sarpy County.
Lincoln Northwest
Lincoln Northeast
Lincoln Northstar
Lincoln High
Lincoln Southeast
Lincoln Southwest
Lincoln East
Lincoln Standing Bear
Split the Metro Conference
Omaha North
Omaha South
Omaha Central
Omaha Bryan
Omaha Benson
Omaha Burke
Omaha Northwest
Westside
Creighton Prep/Omaha Marian
***Omaha Beuna Vista and Omaha Westview likely enter here when they are big enough.
Bellevue East
Bellevue West
Papillion-LaVista
Papillion-LaVista South
Millard North
Millard South
Millard West
Gretna
Elkhorn South
***Gretna East, Elkhorn, Elkhorn North are candidates here once they get their numbers.
That leaves several schools at the bottom of class A enrollment/top of class B enrollment. The exception, as mentioned before, is Grand Island. You could insert Pius to get the 12th school and split them east/west.
East
West
Scottsbluff
North Platte
Kearney
Grand Island
Hastings
Lexington
Columbus
Fremont
Norfolk
South Sioux City
Ralston
Pius
Maybe you leave Ralston in the Trailblazer and leave Lexington....5 teams in east, 5 teams in west.
Nebraska is such a unique state because it is top 15 in square mileage/land mass, but 1.1 million of the 1.9 million people in the state live in Douglas, Lancaster, or Sarpy County.
The biggest obstacle to Malcolm's growth as a district is getting the taxpayers in Malcolm to pass a bond for school expansion so they can accept more kids that don't live in Malcolm (thus don't pay for the school).
I'd like to see Lexington back in the SWC as well.
>> Does Hastings High ask to join the Central 10 now?
As far as I know, Hastings has never received any interest from the Central. I think they are a couple of steps down the path in looking at a different conference move. Not sure the other conference will work out or if they would listen to a Central proposal if one materialized.
>>>I'd like to see Lexington back in the SWC as well.
Sign me up for that too.
As far as I know, Hastings has never received any interest from the Central. I think they are a couple of steps down the path in looking at a different conference move. Not sure the other conference will work out or if they would listen to a Central proposal if one materialized.
>>>I'd like to see Lexington back in the SWC as well.
Sign me up for that too.
I like your suggested Northern Conference. I don't really know that the SPVA would be any better for Valentine than the SW conference currently is. In terms of travel, trips to Chase County, Perkins County, Kimball, Bridgeport those trips are going to be just as long as what they already face in the SW.
The bond issue may become more easily passed if school choice legislation passes. Sounds like that may be coming down the pipe very soon- and Malcolm would be a big winner from LPS...
The tweet about the Dusters to the SWC is that saying they are officially accepted or they are wanting to be accepted?
They are applying to be members, I don’t think think they’ve been officially accepted as of today, but they will be.
Why are you so sure they will be accepted? 9 member conferences spread out doesn't make much sense. I hope they would be and Valentine and Ainsworth removed but may need another to go with them.
I do think Ainsworth will move out in the near future. I just can’t imagine any school not wanting them besides Valentine. They will get majority votes even if the conference is an odd number.
I really don't think Valentine will care either way. Holdrege is just another trip. Same as Minden McCook. They won't want to make the conference schools upset by voting no because they don't have an alternative conference to join.
Agreed 100%. Valentine knows whatever they have to do they have to drive. Holdrege is just another drive.
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Sorry for being nitpicky, but Nebraska is #16 in square mileage.
Lincoln Northwest and Lincoln Standing Bear will play in the Class B Eastern Midlands when they open in 2022 and 2023, respectively. (And, I think we may hear at least one more change in the Eastern Midlands before this cycle is over.)
So when they go to class A are they going to stay in the EMC? I really don't understand the decision.
