BIG 8
- Thread starter Ftballfan16
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How fun would a “premiere league” setup be?
If we did end up with a merged COC or OC or whatever?
If you win the lower division you are automatically bumped up the next year and replace the last last place finisher.
I know that will never happen, for a variety of reasons. But you could theoretically do it in 2 year cycles.
If we did end up with a merged COC or OC or whatever?
If you win the lower division you are automatically bumped up the next year and replace the last last place finisher.
I know that will never happen, for a variety of reasons. But you could theoretically do it in 2 year cycles.
@golfindude because you are an Aurora fan, and complaining about larger schools, so I thought that quote might be appropriate.
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Worth a revisit.
www.ozarkssportszone.com
“For us, it’s going to create opportunity for opponents in all sports, but especially football,” said Marshfield Athletic Director Kevin Armstrong,
Big 8 Conference expanding to 14 schools
Share on Facebook Share on Twitter The landscape of high school sports and conference affiliation has changed quite a bit over the past few years and it’s about to add a major wrinkle. The BIG 8 Conference
www.ozarkssportszone.com
“For us, it’s going to create opportunity for opponents in all sports, but especially football,” said Marshfield Athletic Director Kevin Armstrong,
Hopefully the same place that Rogersville and Marshfield end up but I have no idea. The answer isn't playing a bunch of class 2 and 3 schools.
I don't think Monett leaves or wants to, the conference is a good fit now and it looks good for the future. However if there is a push to rid the conference of Nevada and or Mac, well then yes I could see that possible changing, because I don't think we would want to be the only class 4 football school in the conference. Me personally I would like to see either Log Rog or Marshfield stay if not I think CJ would then be a logical choice.
The other thing is Marshfield wrestling program has grown since joining the Big 8, Log Rog also. So many sports will have seen a positive impact.Worth a revisit.
Big 8 Conference expanding to 14 schools
Share on Facebook Share on Twitter The landscape of high school sports and conference affiliation has changed quite a bit over the past few years and it’s about to add a major wrinkle. The BIG 8 Conference
“For us, it’s going to create opportunity for opponents in all sports, but especially football,” said Marshfield Athletic Director Kevin Armstrong,
New Conf.
All Close to the same size
Log Rog
Marshfield
Carl Junction
Nevada
McDonald Co
Bolivar
Nevada
Monett
All Close to the same size
Log Rog
Marshfield
Carl Junction
Nevada
McDonald Co
Bolivar
Nevada
Monett
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I am not sure all of those schools want to do that but it would be a good league. If not I think Branson, Willard and Neosho could be options.
wow 4 hour bus ride from Nevada to West Plains, just now sure you want to see that for a conference tennis, cross country, etc. Football not bad until that monday JV game and talk about long middle school trips.
No one west of Springfield should ever have to go to West Plains.
CJ would make sense possibly football and basketball wise because they can't compete with COC competition in those sports. I think to many decisions are made for just one or two programs though. If CJ got back in it would be an absolute slaughter in almost all girls sports except softball. That would be good for them, but bad for the conference.
Problem is...it is broke...every single time (think OUTSIDE football, this isn't big time college athletics) that Nixa, Ozark, Republic, and Willard load up a school bus to go play someone out west when they could drive 10-25 miles to play someone of equalish size...it's broke. Money, kids out late, time away from family...for those schools it's ridiculously broken.
I know your affiliation is of the west COC schools...but here's the issue...their future shouldn't be the concern of the eastern school or SPS schools. Then again, if SPS isn't willing to break away from the OC schools, none of this is relevant.
Bob was big on it because it got Camdenton in a conference...ANY conference...He was tired of trying to find people to play them in football (and having to schedule all the other sports as the AD) as an indy after they had to leave the Tri Co...Once the OC took them in, the desire for any other conference went away.
You can't structure something around varsity football and have it work. It's just a non-starter. It's not feasible at all in the world of HS athletics.
The notion that Ozark got any better competition in that tourney than they could in a 20 mile radius of the school is silly and inaccurate. REPMO, Kickapoo, and Nixa are as good or better than any team they played there. Those kinds of tournaments (and a ton of schools play in them in all sports) are as much about "playing other people" and "team bonding" as they are anything else.
This makes sense to me but don't know if it would ever happen with Springfield schools being split Neosho size wise fits in 1 but might in reality fit better in 2 ....
Conference 1
Kickapoo, Glendale, Ozark, Joplin, Nixa, Carthage, Neosho, Republic, Willard, Webb City
Conference 2
Branson, Parkview, West Plains, Hillcrest, Rogersville, Marshfield, Bolivar, Carl Junction, Central
only really bad trip is CJ to West Plains, others are all close could even set it up where teams only make one trip per season to either CJ or WP.
Waynesville, Rolla, Camdenton, Lebanon left out go north.
Conference 1
Kickapoo, Glendale, Ozark, Joplin, Nixa, Carthage, Neosho, Republic, Willard, Webb City
Conference 2
Branson, Parkview, West Plains, Hillcrest, Rogersville, Marshfield, Bolivar, Carl Junction, Central
only really bad trip is CJ to West Plains, others are all close could even set it up where teams only make one trip per season to either CJ or WP.
Waynesville, Rolla, Camdenton, Lebanon left out go north.
Biggest thing conference affiliations do...limit the work of ADs. Once you admit to that, then you can understand the rest. While your JH idea makes sense, it would never happen...because, you know, it would increase work.
any Southwestern Conference with West Planes in it is dumb, They are not even in the same region.
I dont know the specific of every single sport, but in baseball you play conference games on Tues/Thurs...with a full length JV game following the varsity. Not uncommon for schools traveling east/west to get home at midnight or after on a school night.
And the SUPER fun part...if you're an athlete in a school that is on block schedule and doesn't double block weights...you get the pleasure of being at morning weights by around 6 the following morning. It's a real problem in the rural "suburban" schools that still travel like they're truly rural schools. It's a problem that has a real and actual fix, but folks would actually have to work and then agree. That's kind of the main issue now.
My oldest is a coach out in Liberal KS, to play anybody close to their size they have to travel all the way up to Derby, Wichita really putting the miles on the old buss. What they do for some sports is they play double headers, sometimes a a neutral location. I know last spring I drove to Derby to watch them play on a Thursdays and they just played two other teams while they were there so they didn't have to make two more trips. The kids had to miss school but they started around noon so they could be home at a decent time. However were they are located they don't have many choices.
One thing baseball and 8 man football have in common! Great naps!Luckily most people get a nap in during the game.
That's basically my point in all of this talk that surrounds the "Springfield Metro Area". If there were no other options, what exists for the COC schools would be palpable. But there are MUCH better options in terms of logistics. And let's face it, competitive balance shouldn't be a factor because that basically focuses on a single sport.
I think Nixa, Republic and Ozark will be with Carthage, Webb and Joplin for the foreseeable future. They should probably allow Kickapoo and Glendale to join and have everyone else leave.
I wouldn't bet on it...but I might not bet against it either. I've heard "talk" for years, but this is the first time I think it's ever been anything more than that. Now, schools being able to agree on a solution or balance of power is another story. But in times of record inflation and increasing costs for everything, the lengths these schools have to go to get kids places is insane. Again, there are viable options that are much more logistically and financially friendly for the eastern COC schools. Can SPS relinquish a little power (they basically can make unilateral decisions in the current OC)? Can the eastern COC schools just ignore the ramifications on the western COC schools and basically tell them to kick rocks? Will BOE's and taxpayers become involved enough to ask why schools in SPS, Nixa, Ozark, Republic, and Willard waste a TON of money annually in the name of HS athletics because of time and travel? Like most things in public ed, I think until the answer to the last question is yes you won't see change.
Those 8 schools are on another level than everyone else either because of population or resources. The travel could be better but it isn't horrible.
I think Webb is obvious but that is a good question in regard to Carthage. Willard is smaller and takes in part of NW Springfield that is lower income.
It could be better is objective. It isn't horrible is subjective. It could and should be better. SPS and the four east COC schools make it much better. Saves a ton of money for all schools involved. And while yes, this is a football message board, football is one of just about a dozen other sports that should get consideration. I get it, you're a parent or former parent of one of these schools. It leaves you out. And that sucks for you. And while I understand the fit isn't "perfect", it's makes a whole lot more sense (considering ALL sports) when you look at all factors. Wanna know what makes even MORE sense? Having an even smaller conference and playing home and home in all the sports with bigger schedules (basketball, baseball, softball...those type sports). Which is exactly what I'd suggest with the west schools. It's a hard pill to swallow when district leadership tells schools they don't have money, only to spend countless needless dollars traveling to play HS athletics in the name of not wanting to hurt someone's feelings. We've discussed this before, and while I agree with your assertion the schools you're affiliated with are a better fit when it comes to competitive balance (mainly a football argument) and possibly resources (I'm not completely on board with that, because SPS had endless resources), they simply don't make sense given the options available. That leaves your school or schools on the outside looking in, and in my belief taints your opinion a bit. Which is completely understandable, btw.
Eventually SPS is going to have to cut their ties with the far East OC schools and that will be hard to do since SPS AD came from Waynesville.
It was only a snapshot of 1 year but when I looked, Willard across all varsity sports was the 4th most competitive school out of the 10 in the COC just below Republic and ahead of Joplin. They are roughly the same size as WC and Neosho and not really that far behind Branson Republic and Carthage. The have the 4th lowest poverty. I can't see why they don't belong in the COC in terms of size, resources or competitiveness.
I have to think that Marshfield and Log Rog are pretty sure that some changes are coming down the pipe in the Ozark and COC to give notice to the Big 8 that they are exploring other options or they may find themselves without a conference period.
I would also think that Catholic, Reeds and Hollister may know more than they are letting on.
And I have sort of heard that is why Reeds decided to jump, because they didn't they would have been the 10th school in the conference now looking at having to travel to Lamar and Nevada in all sports versus the new conference they joined.
I would also think that Catholic, Reeds and Hollister may know more than they are letting on.
And I have sort of heard that is why Reeds decided to jump, because they didn't they would have been the 10th school in the conference now looking at having to travel to Lamar and Nevada in all sports versus the new conference they joined.
The Big question is what do Rogersville and Marshfield know and when did they know it.
Dude I agree with you totally. If I were an Ozark parent or whatever I would absolutely want to trade Webb Neosho and Joplin et al for SPS. It just makes entirely too much sense and saves way too much time and money for all those involved.
And your suggestion of the home and home with smaller conference makes sense as well. Kind of like how the Missouri Valley conference does or at least did until the lastest additions and it worked great. I'd much rather a home game with Joplin then a "road" game at Joplin 15 minutes away and forget Ozark altogether.
