Conference Realignment Changes Illinois Baseball Landscape
March 16, 2015
By Drake Skleba
Senior Writer
Over the last couple of years in the world of major college sports, conference realignment has been a major topic of discussion. The ultimate goal: to set up so-called super-conferences, has been the modus operandi of conference commissioners throughout college sports. The multi-million dollar television contracts the super-conferences will take in is also on the front burner of the conference commissioners’ minds.
The summer of 2014 brought a major upheaval in the conference landscape in Illinois, with several conferences realigning. The number one reason for realignment at the high school level, is having the ability to be competitive. Small enrollment schools were participating in conferences with schools with enrollments twice their size. Although I don’t totally agree with the numbers argument, to be competitive, it certainly is an advantage for a school of 3,000 compared to a school of 1,500 students, there are more potential athletes to choose from and the depth of rosters in all sports at higher enrollment schools makes a difference.
The Apollo, Big 12, Big Northern, Central State 8, DuPage Valley, East Suburban Catholic, Fox Valley, Interstate 8, Metro Suburban, Suburban Christian and the Upstate 8, all participated in this realignment.
Let’s start with the Apollo:
APOLLO- Paris departed for the Little Illini and the Taylorville Tornadoes blew in from the Central State 8…
BIG 12- The Big 12 is back to 12 schools after picking up the Peoria schools from the defunct Mid State 6 baseball conference. Peoria Notre Dame, Peoria Richwoods, Peoria HS and Peoria Manual are added while the Decatur schools, Eisenhower and MacArthur left for the Central State 8.
BIG NORTHERN- Johnsburg departed the Fox Valley Conference and will participate in the Big Northern Conference Eastern Division.
CENTRAL STATE 8- Now has 10; with the addition of Decatur Eisenhower and Decatur MacArthur from the Big 12 and Taylorville’s departure to the Apollo.
DUPAGE VALLEY- Glenbard East and West Aurora left and joined the now 16-team Upstate 8 Conference. Neuqua Valley and Waubonsie Valley will join the DVC in the 2015-16 school year, returning the conference to eight teams.
EAST SUBURBAN CATHOLIC- Marian Central Catholic of Woodstock left the Suburban Christian to become the 10th member of the ESCC.
FOX VALLEY- Prairie Ridge returned to the Fox Valley Fox Division replacing departed Johnsburg in the 13-team league.
INTERSTATE 8- Dwight left for the Sangamon Valley Conference and was replaced by Streator from the Northern Illinois Big 12 West.
METRO SUBURBAN- The MSC expanded to 14-teams with the addition of Suburban Christian Conference schools, Aurora Central Catholic, Chicago Christian, Immaculate Conception, St. Edward, Walther Christian and Wheaton Academy.
SUBURBAN CHRISTIAN- Aurora Christian, Marmion, Montini and St. Francis are the Final 4 of the soon to be defunct SCC. All four schools will be members of the Chicago Catholic League White Division in 2015-16.
UPSTATE 8- Squared. The Upstate 8 should be the Upstate 16 Conference having 16 members playing in two eight-team divisions, the River and the Valley. With Neuqua and Waubonsie Valley’s departure to the DuPage Valley in 2015-16, they will be the Upstate 14 Conference.
The realignment will put an end to some historic rivalries but also add some interesting new ones to the Illinois baseball landscape. No matter. Let’s just play ball.
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