The 8 Conference admintrations plans to expand to 14 in the 2018-19 school year, according to a press release issued by conference officials.
The Big 8 Conference superintendents, principals, and athletic directors met and approved expansion options that should provide for more conference opportunities in academic and athletic events for member school districts, according to a press release from the member schools.
The expansion must still be approved by the school boards of the districts involved.
Expansion and realignment will begin in January, with the official conference affiliation and division schedules taking effect in the 2018-19 school year, when the current athletic scheduling cycle is complete. Details on scheduling and other issues must still be worked out.
"We are very excited about the new opportunities for our students under the proposed expansion of the Big 8," said Dr. Mark Stantion, superintendent of McDonald County School District. "The expansion will create several new conference sports and additional awards for our students. It will also give our Mustangs positive exposure to the Springfield area."
The current Big 8 Conference school districts are:
• McDonald County
• East Newton
• Cassville
• Monett
• Aurora
• Lamar
• Mount Vernon
• Seneca.
The expansion proposal expands the conference into a 14-member conference with two divisions.
The new member school districts are:
• Marshfield
• Nevada
• Logan-Rogersville
• Reeds Spring
• Hollister
• Springfield Catholic.
The expanded Big 8 Conference will provide for two divisions that will represent the best interest of all member school demographics and location while also honoring traditional rivalries and athletic scheduling options. By expanding to the 14-member conference all schools immediately benefit as eight additional sports will be considered and eligible for conference recognition and awards.
The West Division schools will be McDonald County, Monett, Nevada, Cassville, East Newton, Seneca and Lamar.
The East Division schools will be Marshfield, Logan-Rogersville, Aurora, Reeds Spring, Springfield Catholic, Hollister and MountVernon.
"Expansion to a 14-member conference provides our school and students an opportunity to compete and gain recognition within the conference while also having the opportunity to compete in the division brings additional opportunities that are good for students in both academic programs and athletic events," said East Newton Superintendent Todd McCrackin, who represents one of the smaller Big 8 Conference schools.
The Big 8 Conference has a longstanding reputation for traditional and competitive rivalries that have led the conference to many district, regional, and state awards for both academic programs in band, choir, speech/debate, and athletics within all sports. This expansion brings in schools who share that desire and seek to uphold those expectations and understand the efforts to put student success first in the classroom and on the playing field.
The move follows recent changes in the Big 8 Conference as Carl Junction transitioned into the Central Ozarks Conference following the acceptance of McDonald County School District into the conference. This move now sets up a conference that represents a diverse demographic of southwest Missouri and extremely successful school districts. The Big 8 Conference evaluated the expansion options and focused on an equitable plan that met the needs of each school district.
Cassville Athletic Director Doug Martin understood the potential what the conference expansion meant to the conference but also recognized that expansion to 14 teams would be no small task and commented.
"The Big 8 Conference has an outstanding reputation in the entire state and we had to get this right if it were going to (be) successful and most important be good for our students. We knew that it would take all of our school districts committing to those core values, sportsmanship, and academic expectations that have earned us the reputation we have within the region and state."
The BIG 8 Conference will be shaped into an East and West conference division. The West Division includes: McDonald County, Monett, Nevada, Cassville, East Newton, Seneca, and Lamar; the East Division includes: Marshfield, Logan-Rogersville, Aurora, Reeds Spring, Springfield Catholic, Hollister, and Mt. Vernon. This conference division meets the scheduling needs of the football programs while preserving traditional rivalries and bringing in new match-ups. While in other sports like basketball and volleyball the division platform preserves the opportunities for individual school districts to schedule games outside the division with schools that more closely represent their demographic size and travel needs. The addition of six (6) new schools provides the opportunity for potentially eight (8) current sports or events to be considered "conference" and provide students with additional recognition for conference awards even within divisions.
Shawn Randles, Superintendent at Logan-Rogersville, expressed his support and appreciation to the BIG 8 Conference and stated: "The BIG 8 Conference expansion opportunity provides our students an avenue to pursue success in a conference that has a great reputation. We are excited about the opportunity to participate in the BIG 8 and understand our membership within the conference comes with a responsibility to ensure student success in the classroom, academic events, and athletic competition. Our students are the real winners in this process and that is the focus of the BIG 8 Conference."
The BIG 8 Conference expansion and realignment process will begin in January 2017, but the official conference affiliation and division schedules won't take effect until the 2018 school year when the current athletic scheduling cycle is complete.
Details on scheduling and other issues must still be worked out, but the addition of the six teams is expected to be given approval at December board meetings of existing Big 8 schools.
The divisions meet the scheduling needs of the football programs while preserving traditional rivalries and bringing in new match-ups. While in other sports like basketball and volleyball the division platform preserves the opportunities for individual school districts to schedule games outside the division with schools that more closely represent their demographic size and travel needs. The addition of six new schools provides the opportunity for potentially eight current sports or events to be considered conference and provide students with additional recognition for conference awards even within divisions.
General News on 12/08/2016