I have heard rumblings that Marshfield, Catholic and Rogersville are leaving the Big 8. Catholic would probably join Mid Lakes as their enrollment fits fine with those schools. Trying to figure out where Rogersville and Marshfield plan on going. I would not be surprised if Hollister leaves for the Mid Lakes as well. Big 8 will probably do away with East and West and just go with 10 schools and play everyone in football.
BIG 8
- Thread starter Ftballfan16
- Start date
First I have heard of it. And like you said where are they going to go Marshfield is clearly class 4 and growing Rogersville is a small class 4 but growing but neither of those schools are ready to step up to the Ozark or COC?
I could see Catholic possible wanting to leave because of football, but I don't think the Mid Lakes would want them because they are a private school and they are competitive in other sports, and they have soccer which they fit nicely in the big 8 along with the other sports. Hollister, again yes I could see them wanting out but man that would be a jaunt for those schools in the Mid Lakes to head down there.
I think football is driving a lot of schools to make some not very smart decision, they are not thinking about how that decision affects all sports.
I could see Catholic possible wanting to leave because of football, but I don't think the Mid Lakes would want them because they are a private school and they are competitive in other sports, and they have soccer which they fit nicely in the big 8 along with the other sports. Hollister, again yes I could see them wanting out but man that would be a jaunt for those schools in the Mid Lakes to head down there.
I think football is driving a lot of schools to make some not very smart decision, they are not thinking about how that decision affects all sports.
Your last sentence sums up college and high school sports right now. I can't remember the college game or the announcing team, but a comment was made that conference realignment is fine for football, but for all other sports go back to the way it was, conference-wise, 15 years ago. Traveling 90 mins or even two hours on a Friday afternoon for a varsity football game is all part of the fun and atmosphere. Getting off work early on a Monday or Tues to drive 90 mins or 2 hr for a freshman football game or tennis/golf match is something else.
What I have heard after the admin meeting Tuesday.
Marshfield and Rog started exploiring starting a new conference with schools that want out of the COC/Ozark…
Several Schools want out of the COC… Branson, CJ, Neosho, maybe more….(Willard?) this might be what started the preverbal “ball rolling” with all this in the first place.
Ozark Conf. is already full of teams that just don’t have a home. Sounds like a couple of them want something new outside of the SPS as well.
Not wanting to be left out in the cold…. Hollister to the mid lakes.
Catholic most likely as well.
Reeds Spring says their out, but not sure if that’s mid lakes or to the new conference with Branson, or elsewhere…
Mt.Vernon and Aurora happy to be back in the “original big 8”.
Which would be 9 schools with the current 7team big 8 west.
Big 8 west happy to not have all the travel associated with crossovers and trips to hollister/reeds/marshfield.
Old East schools happy to not get the doors blown off each year in football by Lamar, Nevada, Seneca….
Big 8 “9” would most likely keep the name.
Not sure if they would try to add a 10th team, as no one really fits size of school and geography. Other than maybe CJ, who from what I’m told burnt to many bridges when they left the big 8.
That’s all just conjecture and what someone heard from someone else. But seems to be traction to a lot of it.
Marshfield and Rog started exploiring starting a new conference with schools that want out of the COC/Ozark…
Several Schools want out of the COC… Branson, CJ, Neosho, maybe more….(Willard?) this might be what started the preverbal “ball rolling” with all this in the first place.
Ozark Conf. is already full of teams that just don’t have a home. Sounds like a couple of them want something new outside of the SPS as well.
Not wanting to be left out in the cold…. Hollister to the mid lakes.
Catholic most likely as well.
Reeds Spring says their out, but not sure if that’s mid lakes or to the new conference with Branson, or elsewhere…
Mt.Vernon and Aurora happy to be back in the “original big 8”.
Which would be 9 schools with the current 7team big 8 west.
Big 8 west happy to not have all the travel associated with crossovers and trips to hollister/reeds/marshfield.
Old East schools happy to not get the doors blown off each year in football by Lamar, Nevada, Seneca….
Big 8 “9” would most likely keep the name.
Not sure if they would try to add a 10th team, as no one really fits size of school and geography. Other than maybe CJ, who from what I’m told burnt to many bridges when they left the big 8.
That’s all just conjecture and what someone heard from someone else. But seems to be traction to a lot of it.
Would the mid lakes want Catholic? What would Catholic do about Soccer that is one of their better sports and basketball?
I Can see Hollister, but man for little schools that would add allot of travel? Could the SCA fit into any of this?
I can see why Marshfield wants out, travel is not great and they are getting slapped around by class 2 and 3 schools.
Log Rog They are pretty competitive across the conference so surprises me they would want out?
@MoSooner69 Why does Reeds Want out, they have been competitive, I mean I would be happy to not have to make that trip anymore. What have you heard?
I Can see Hollister, but man for little schools that would add allot of travel? Could the SCA fit into any of this?
I can see why Marshfield wants out, travel is not great and they are getting slapped around by class 2 and 3 schools.
Log Rog They are pretty competitive across the conference so surprises me they would want out?
@MoSooner69 Why does Reeds Want out, they have been competitive, I mean I would be happy to not have to make that trip anymore. What have you heard?
Do the mid lakes schools have soccer/tennis??
Those would be Catholic sports that I would see losing out on this.
Catholic baseball will be a beast. But a couple of those mid lakes schools have decent baseball I think.
Reeds is the ??? Too big for the mid lakes? Too small to go in a new conference with Branson, Rog, etc?? I’m really curious where they will go.
Reeds is actually a great fit in the Big 8.
Catholic enrollment is 290. That's smaller than Clever, Forsyth and Strafford. The Mid Lakes is a good fit. Have to be an independent in Soccer. Hollister would be a good fit for Mid lakes as well.
Catholic enrollment is 290. That's smaller than Clever, Forsyth and Strafford. The Mid Lakes is a good fit. Have to be an independent in Soccer. Hollister would be a good fit for Mid lakes as well.
Marshfield, Branson, Rogersville, CJ, Bolivar, Neosho. Hillcrest would be a good fit with their enrollment so would West Plains.
Marshfield, Rogersville and Catholic so far are the only 3 that have let the other schools know they plan to leave.
I believe Reeds has also made it “official” as well.
Although I’m not sure where they are going.
I would think they would want to stay on as the 10th “big 8” school
There's never been any reason
Please share this with the "Committee for District Construction" at MSHSAA. I believe at times geography is difficult for them.WP needs to head East!
Clever has athletes and is growing. They just have to find the right coach and culture. They could definitely be a program to watch if things go well. So far things have went about as bad as they possibly could. They are going to develop a culture of losing quickly
Actually Hollister was right after Catholic. It is my understanding that Marshfield and Rogersville have not formally withdrawn, but they have let the Big 8 know they are exploring other options and are likely to leave. My source at Hollister said that the people in the Mid-Lakes want Reeds Spring as well and thinks that they will be following shortly. Another person that works in the central office at another Big 8 school said that Reeds Spring has already informed the Conference that they are leaving as well. If you look at the travel, for them, with the departure of the East Division, it makes sense, outside of football.
I have tried to talk to a guy that probably knows more about Reeds Spring than anyone but he simply wont talk to me about it. To me that tells me all I need to know, it is either true or about to be true.
You would think Skyline is looking north either to the Ozark Highlands or Kaysinger.
So let's say Carl, Neosho, and Branson do leave the COC. What then? Does the COC look at Glendale and Kickapoo? I don't see SPS breaking them up but if things shift around them enough they might. Or does this force the most logical scenario which is SPS + Willard, Ozark, Nixa, Branson and Republic especially if we can find a way to treat football separately.
At what point does the COC start to become unattractive to Carthage or even Webb City to where it seems more pragmatic to do something with Neosho, Nevada, McDonald, Carl Monett and whoever else they are with. Again, if we can find a separate solution for football this makes way more sense to me than all this travel back and forth between springfield and joplin areas in both the Big 8 and COC.
At what point does the COC start to become unattractive to Carthage or even Webb City to where it seems more pragmatic to do something with Neosho, Nevada, McDonald, Carl Monett and whoever else they are with. Again, if we can find a separate solution for football this makes way more sense to me than all this travel back and forth between springfield and joplin areas in both the Big 8 and COC.
East Newton is staying in the Big 8.
They would have left before if that was going to happen.
They have tried in the past but could not get accepted into another conference, they were told they were too big. But if those conference might be taking Reeds that throws that argument out the window. But that is not to say they still want to leave.
East newton in the big 8… Longest road trip is Nevada at like 1:10.
Skyline would be 2 hours. Forsyth, hollister would both be pushing 1:45.
Reeds and Strafford both longer trips than the trip to Nevada.
East newton enrollment is on the rise, I know football is a driving factor for a lot of things. But getting out of the big 8 and into the mid lakes, just doesn’t look like it would be good from a distance perspective and in all other sports wouldn’t help them that much athletically.
Yea, and you’re not wrong either. I just think “they” can be a lot of things and not always necessarily the powers that be or the people pulling the trigger.
I get why “they” would have looked at different options in the past, it just makes a lot more sense to stay pat.
I’ve heard that Current admin have stated strongly this week that they are locked in with the big 8.
I’ll be curious to see if the “big 8” rolls with 9 teams or tries to find 1 more for an even 10. Just hard to figure out who the 10th would be since they seem so against CJ and since Reeds is obviously out.
So is all this a done deal?
Because heard a few have said they are leaving we know who those are, and a few said they are exploring options and we know who those are. So don't know if you can tell anybody else anything yet or that is what I was told.
Also I wonder if all these changes could cause some unexpected changes in other conference, I mean it looks like they COC and Ozark might be losing some conference members will they be looking to fill them and with whom?
Last edited:
Hollister, Catholic, Reeds being gone is a “done deal”
Marshfield and Rogersville “exploring a new conference” is a done deal.
Mt vernon and Aurora heading back to the big 8 west, and that going back to a 1 division big 8 seems to be what will happen.
“Done deal” of course has to go through all of the board approved hoops etc… but it seems like toothpaste out of the tube at this point.
I think what is still more “up in the air” at this point, is if Branson, Bolivar etc…. Get together with Rogersville and marshfield, west plains?? Who knows what will come of all that, and who knows what the ripple effects will be in the COC/Ozark. That seems to be more the unknown.
Fair Grove has soccer which would likely fit with Catholic and some of these Big 8 East Schools.
Skyline would be a great fit to the Ozark Highlands being on 65 and just off 54. I can't imagine they would like making all those trips but would be hesitant to leave because basketball and baseball.
Skyline would be a great fit to the Ozark Highlands being on 65 and just off 54. I can't imagine they would like making all those trips but would be hesitant to leave because basketball and baseball.
Rogersville had conference discussion on his board meeting agenda last night. Marshfield has it on for tonight. Reeds Spring has conference realignment for its next meeting on 27th.
Question ... what are the quantifying factors for conference alignment/realignment?
Is it school size/enrollment? Is it geographical? Is it travel time/distance? Is it MSHSAA class size? Is it competitiveness?
And before someone says a healthy combination of all of the above, then what is the priority of the quantifying factors? Which of those factors is No. 1 and which is the least important? Additionally, are there are more quantifying factors I failed to mention or overlook?
Asking for discussion only.
Is it school size/enrollment? Is it geographical? Is it travel time/distance? Is it MSHSAA class size? Is it competitiveness?
And before someone says a healthy combination of all of the above, then what is the priority of the quantifying factors? Which of those factors is No. 1 and which is the least important? Additionally, are there are more quantifying factors I failed to mention or overlook?
Asking for discussion only.
What I keep hearing is people are tired of the travel. So I say for some that is factor then competitiveness is second. But seems Football is the driver in all of this. People forget about those Tuesdays Tennis matches the Junior basketball games. All that time on the bus takes it toll. But most Admin and boards seem to focus in on what happens on Friday nights, if your football team is getting blown out they focus on that and forget about how good the other programs are doing.
Well because as @BoosterBosko Bosko points out Football brings in the most money especially for the booster club it is probable half of what we make all season.
The COC/Ozark admins.. I have to think they are watching this closely. Most schools now want to be in a conference at 10 members so you don't have to look for any non conference games. So I have to think one Conference is going to try and get a jump on the other and shore up some members and new members to keep the numbers at 10.
Travel is increasingly a problem. Especially with fuel cost and driver shortages. It's logistically problematic. Carthage has had numerous instances this year where a driver has to transport kids to somewhere around Springfield, then come back to Carthage to drive a route, then return to springfield. That is a waste of time and money. It also disrupts the students academics becase in order to pull this off, they have to leave abnormally early and wait at the opponents school so the driver has time to get back to Carthage before school is out. Some bus routes have been disrupted or delayed because of this also.
Friday night football is one thing, but all the weeknight things are entirely different and in many if not most of those sports the school size is less important. They just need someone to play. I can tell you that many people in Carthage would love to lose Branson from the conference. Only because of the travel. It's fun to make a weekend of it on a friday night but going there repeated nights for a Jr High basketball coc tourney is the absolute worst.
