Not this shit again......

Official as of last night. Seneca will be leaving the I-8 for the SVC for football and a separate conference for Basketball (the name escapes me at this point) after the 2017 season.

Honestly, I do not think this move will help their football program any better.

dusty7 wrote:Honestly, I do not think this move will help their football program any better.  

How so? I would imagine that the community might welcome the opportunity to be sitting at 4-4 and not have to play a school 300 kids bigger than them.

It's amazing what a move down in conferences can do for your football program. Ask Sangamon Valley and Argenta.

Head Idiot wrote:

dusty7 wrote:Honestly, I do not think this move will help their football program any better.  

How so?  I would imagine that the community might welcome the opportunity to be sitting at 4-4 and not have to play a school 300 kids bigger than them.

It's amazing what a move down in conferences can do for your football program.  Ask Sangamon Valley and Argenta.

I believe they will still be losing to Watseka, Clifton Central, Momence, and PBL year in and year out.

Yes their competitiveness in football hasn't been great the past 2 years but 3 years ago they were a quarterfinal team. Small schools go through ups and downs. They are competitive and in the top half of the conference in almost every sport every year. I just see the move as an easy way to try and be more competitive.

If their goal is getting 40+ in the first round of the playoffs then maybe this is the right mood.

I also wonder what their lack of success in Basketball this season played in this move.

I can tell you getting running clocked in the first round every year is far better for your career as a coach than making a run every 7.

I think they'll be competitive most years with everyone listed outside maybe Central. Watseka's only made the playoffs 1/2 the time in the past decade. PBL will only be strong apparently as long as the HC is there as they've struggled mightily without him or Zimmerman. Momence will be good next year, but they lost to Sangamon Valley a couple years ago. They aren't exactly Rochester.

I think they'll find themselves solidly in the top 1/3 of the conference every year.

Seneca will be fine. I think the biggest thing for them will be getting their numbers up I think they were under 40 for their whole program. We arent what we were 5-6 years ago. Last couple years we have struggled. Right now PBL is the hot team in the Conference, Momence is set up nice for the next two years at the skill positions. Sometimes you need a fresh start and not having to play those crossover games helps too

It's been awhile but there is vote today for either one or all 3 of Morris, Pontiac, or Kankakee to join the I-8.

Personally I do not think any of them will get the 9 votes necessary to become a member. The Conference will have a completely different look in 2018.

I think Pontiac would be a pretty good fit. From an enrollment standpoint, I don't see how Kankakee was even considered. Morris is probably too strong, historically, in football to garner much consideration. Football drives these decisions.

If somehow all 3 get in I dont see Reed Custer sticking around for long. The Small Division will essentially be full of what were once large division schools. Throw in some mandatory crossovers and they are sunk.
Large
Kankakee
Pontiac
Morris
Streator
Sandwich
Plano
Coal City

Small
Manteno
Herscher
Peotone
Wilmington
Lisle
Reed Custer
Westmont

I'm a little surprised that Pontiac and Prairie Central are not a package deal.

O fer Three?

Doctor D wrote:O fer Three?

this is a very puzzling response. did you mean 'oh 4 3'? that i can comprehend.

None of the three potential teams were voted into the I8 from what I've heard

i knew what you meant. was just messing with you.

Pontiac withdrew which makes sense. They will start in a new conference this season. PC had no interest in joining.

Kankakee was a long shot to begin with.

Morris still has a chance but dropping enrollment for all but 2 schools currently in the conference does not bode well for them.

On a slightly-related note, the Kishwaukee River Conference has just booted Burlington Central tonight for being too large. BC could go to the NIB-12 if Morris decides to leave.

or BC could be added to the nib12 and the league would have 11 schools.

or the league could add bc and another school to have 12 schools.

or the league could add bc and another school and then lose 2 schools and have 10.

or the league...

Morris declined.

As a fan, I would have liked to have seen this work out, but I guess most of the schools are afraid of Morris football.

http://www.morrisherald-news.com/2017/08/07/morris-not-admitted-to-interstate-eight/a7rc2ka/

Im hearing of secret plans by the I8 involving mostly the Kankakee area schools others left out to dry

DISTRICTS!!!

This conference crap and people jockeying for 5 wins is getting beyond stupid.

How bout we have a IHSA NIT

Doctor D wrote:Morris declined.  

As a fan, I would have liked to have seen this work out, but I guess most of the schools are afraid of Morris football.

http://www.morrisherald-news.com/2017/08/07/morris-not-admitted-to-interstate-eight/a7rc2ka/  

Yep, Morris would have been the heavy hitter in that league.

OSUBucks wrote:

Doctor D wrote:Morris declined.  

As a fan, I would have liked to have seen this work out, but I guess most of the schools are afraid of Morris football.

http://www.morrisherald-news.com/2017/08/07/morris-not-admitted-to-interstate-eight/a7rc2ka/  

Yep, Morris would have been the heavy hitter in that league.

agreed.

i really don't blame the lower echelon teams in the i8 saying 'no'. but just like rochester in the cs8, the upper i8 would greatly benefit from tough competition come playoff time.

I concur with benefit from tougher competition.

The larger I8 schools already have to play the likes of Morris in the playoffs for non football sports, and I've heard that Morris has a real potential to fall to 4A in football.
Might as well play them in the regular season.

Word is Manteno, Wilmington, Hersher, Reed Custer, Peotone and Lisle and breaking away from the I8 and want Coal City to join the party. Coal City had an special board meeting last night as well

Districts...Districts...Districts...Districts