The O-K Conference, one of the largest and most powerful athletic leagues in all of Michigan, will lose seven member schools starting in the fall of 2024.
Wayland Schools Supt. Tim Reeves confirmed that Sparta, Coopersville, Kenowa Hills, Lowell, Cedar Springs, Allendale and Greenville have asked the conference for permission for an early exit, after this 2023-24 season. Thirty-seven of the remaining 41 schools in the O-K have voted not to allow it, but no matter, they’re leaving anyway,
Reeves said the O-K’s bylaws forbid it, but the seven schools will form the new River Cities Alliance after June 2024.
Area media have reported that the chief reasons for the moves are geographical in an effort to save long bus trips and transportation costs. But Reeves added that the seven were publicly opposed to the latest realignment, which is done every three years to keep the divisions competitive.
Interestingly, Wayland was told its realignment for the O-K Gold Division would include itself, South Christian, Middleville Thornapple Kellogg and Forest Hills Eastern. Three O-K Blue schools will be moving to the O-K Gold, including Hamilton, Holland Christian and Unity Christian. Holland High also joins the new conference.
Kenowa Hills and Cedar Springs, current members of the O-K Gold were scheduled to move to other divisions anyway, but now they plan to join the River Cities Alliance.
The open defiance of the seven runaway schools means athletic directors are scrambling to realign the remaining 41 schools’ schedules. As it stands now, the new Gold Conference does not include those seceding, but it may be affected bother divisions having to make adjustments.
Hopkins has only one runaway school, Sparta, currently competing in the O-K Silver Division, but things could change by next fall.
If Sparta secedes, the Silver will include Hopkins, Comstock Park, Godwin Heights, Belding, NorthPointe Christian, Calvin Christian and Kelloggsville.
The O-K Conference is touted to be 65 years old. It made a major move in 1971 when it was split into three divisions, the Red, White and Blue, the latter of which Wayland was a member. South Christian and Wayland both have been consistent members of the O-K Gold since it was created about 40 years ago.
Hopkins was without any league affiliation until the O-K Silver Conference was created more than 30 years ago.
Belding travels to Hopkins, Godwin, Calvin Christian and Kelloggsville?
They should join the new conference.
I think in the end they will. I can imagine that the River Cities Alliance would love to have an eighth team to make scheduling easier. Belding applied to the Central States Conference, but that did not work out in the end. They are looking to move and my guess is that it will be to this new conference. They will probably be the smallest school but many RCA schools are just a few miles away.
Michigan high school sports on the whole are suffering from continually worsening competitive imbalance. I applaud these school leaders on GR’s north side who had the spine to stand up for their kids. Wayland kids—my kids—will be playing half their conference contests against for-profit exclusionary schools. Who thought this was a good idea and gave Wayland’s approval for this arrangement?
“for profit exclusionary schools”, as in Catholic and Christian schools I presume? That’s rich, since those schools receive no state funding nor carry huge amounts of cash on hand. I was a public school graduate as were all my family and considered our education equal to others. I’m not sure that is the case anymore.
As for athletic competition, maybe there should be public/private school state tournaments instead of all schools together? They do this in other states.
Been watching as an interested third party.
While researching this it seemed to be coming more from the admin rather than athletic offices. And the new head of the conference has worked in 4 of the schools forming the new conference and has jumped around the OK conference and outside it. Don’t know if this is his dream job and he’s in for the long haul or could be gone in a few years.
Now they are considering a football ONLY conference and then another conference for all other sports in the OK fantasy world.
This when sub varsity sports are disappearing at many schools.
Girls softball for example only 3 schools in the GOLD fielded a JV team.
Why is participation down in the sub varsity sports?
JV/frosh teams are down because the adults have been ruining our kids’ sports. I put a huge amount of the blame on travel sports (into which my own kids have been roped).
Instead of playing locally for FUN, kids’ sports are treated like training for a job. The serious parents shuttle their kids all over the state and country at the expense of tens of thousands of dollars, while all the other kids see the competitive disadvantage and say no thanks.
Right on here. My kids as well. Athletics has become individualized training and lessons for those who can afford the time and money. A serious competitive disadvantage for those who can’t or won’t pay.
Schools cut 11th- and 12th-graders for the superior talent of underclassmen. Not saying it is right or wrong, but we are seeing the declining participation at sub varsity.
Boy…. this be important stuff already. My opinion, my choice.