US31

In my mind I hear "Holiday Road" from National Lampoon's Vacation playing while I look at this map.

That seems to be a textbook case of what Bob is describing above.  I don't know if he rules were different in 2000, but that looks like blatant false start to simulate a snap...they aren't even "shifting" to a legal formation.

On 4/27/2023 at 5:19 PM, temptation said:

Real solid look for Warren keeping Carmel/CG both on the freshman/JV schedules while ducking CG at the varsity level huh?

I have no actual knowledge of this decision process at WC, but I don't see Kirsch being so petty. 

I could see Kirsch saying to someone else ..."Look we aren't driving all the way to FtW on Saturday for JV/Frosh...can we at least drive to CG for those games"

20 hours ago, Punttheball said:

Yes, Valley has been officially voted out of the TRC.  Valley was given three options to choose from.  They would not comply with any of the three choices, so the conference elected to dismiss by an 8-0-1 vote.  This will be effective for the fall of 2023.  As I understand it, Valley will need to fill their Fall 2023 football schedule for a year.  

and the options were....?

56 minutes ago, BLACKGOLD2007 said:

I know the NLC would never want this, but if Plymouth left and they kicked Wawasee to the curb, I think a conference of:

Mishawaka, Penn, Elkhart, Northridge, Concord, Northwood and Warsaw would be very fun schedule.

Kicking Goshen out too?

30 minutes ago, Muda69 said:

Too slow.

70+ mph or bust.

Maybe they'll need some new bus drivers???

50 minutes ago, Muda69 said:

All fine and dandy until an accident on I-65 causes that 1.75 hour trip from McCutcheon to Portage to become a 3+ hour death march.

No thanks.

Or maybe the teams could meet about halfway and play their games at St. Joseph's College old football field?

 

Or take 421? 

49 minutes ago, jets said:

A quick google search shows that WeBo's enrollment dropped significantly following the 2015-16, 16-17 cycle to the next 2 year window (17-18, 18-19) from 557 to 529 ....any particular reason for such a big drop? 

And it looks like it has been on the decline ever since? People leaving to Lebanon? New School open up? 

Could be some of both?....Trader's Point Christian is right there off 65.  I don't know how long theyve been open, but they've only had football a handful of years.

On 4/10/2023 at 10:37 AM, SB1987 said:

I feel like low gate numbers is a cop out for those small schools to leave.  Basketball is still the big bread winner in just about every school in Indiana. You draw similar numbers expect you get more the double the home games.  So that i just don't understand that but,  We've gotta figure out something.  SB Washington is still a school of under 1,000 so putting them in a conference with Elkhart and Penn both of whom have more than double is crazy. I think if the NIC wants to stay alive they have to pouch schools from neighbors.  You've gotta sell them on competitive balance and ease in travel.

Its not.  The fact that some of the NIC schools cannot field JV/Freshman teams in MANY sports is the primary factor. 

Why should Bremen, Jimtown, Glenn, etc stay in conference when half the kids in their programs constantly have their games/contests cancelled.  Seems like the only responsible thing to do for their student athletes.  The reality is, this change says less about the smaller NIC schools and MUCH more about some of the larger schools.

On 4/15/2023 at 8:28 AM, WolvesOnTheProwl said:

Probably a dumb question but who actually “runs” the NIC or any conference in general? Is it the schools AD’s or is there an actual committee or person that oversees the entire conference?

All conferences have different by-laws, but generally is a combination of the Principals & AD's.

On 4/14/2023 at 1:10 PM, Wedgebuster said:

Also, I've heard that some of the frustration for the former NIC schools was lower level games being cancelled over and over again by certain other league teams. 

Recently spoke to a HC at one of the 3 schools mentioned often in this thread.  They were very specific this was the proverbial straw that broke the camel's back, and for some was THE primary factor in leaving NIC.

On 4/14/2023 at 12:47 PM, Gipper said:

Conference Misfit: Harrison, McCutcheon, Terre Haute North, Terre Haute South.  Might as well add Frankfort and West Vigo...

Penn, Elkhart....maybe Warsaw.  

Strange things may happen in the Region with Penn, Elkhart, Harr, & McCutch all being part of recent conference shake ups.

On 4/14/2023 at 9:59 AM, foxbat said:

Not sure how Lebanon would do playing Harrison.  Harrison just blanked them yesterday in JV baseball like 19-0.

Lebanon is the next Zionsville/Westfield/Whiteland/etc

Lots of development in that area in terms of business....and also right off 65.  WeBo and Lebanon should be looking 10 years into the future instead of 10 years into the past.  

Is it odd that only Harr & McC were voted out but not LJ?  

Does it make more sense to look north or south for a new home?

Didn't see it posted anywhere.....Did I hear that Harrison and McCutcheon were voted out of NCC and Jeff is still in?????  Can any Lafayette people verify this?

Or is this rumor mill?  Admins can delete if appropriate.

27 minutes ago, Bash Riprock said:

I am only going on experience with Indy burb schools....but I am open if you can show many soccer rosters filled with boys and girls that didn't play travel soccer.

No offense taken....non intended either.  Just feel there is more demographic diversity (of all types...F/R, PP vs Public, etc, etc) in soccer at the state level than in the other sports people are referencing.  

But I will meet anyone at the Silver Dollar at dusk if you want to call XC a "country club sport" 😀 (if anyone knows this reference it shows your age)

22 minutes ago, Bash Riprock said:

In a way, it is.  To play competitively at most Indy burbs schools, boys and girls have been most likely playing in both local rec and travel leagues for extended periods as a youth.  Not cheap and requires some extensive travel.  While unfortunate, that isn't an option for everyone.  

Unlike Brazil, there are not soccer fields on both grass and concrete all over inner cities and in rural areas.

Just based on recent memory....Chesterton, Goshen, Bishop Noll, Argos, Wheeler and Lake Central and a few others would disagree with this assement.

You don't see anywhere near that "diversity" in swimming, golf, tennis

1 hour ago, Muda69 said:

Soccer is a "country club" sport?   That is news to me.................

 

 

My understanding of the term....Swimming, Golf & Tennis (aka things commonly done at country club).  Although I know many throw in XC (which I would disagree with).

I know Muda wasn't referring to me...and also why I didn't use the term in my earlier post.  Must be the cultural island of Sheridan that pollutes his opinions (I kid, I kid).🤪

1 hour ago, temptation said:

As for the OP, I like this a lot.  I do feel like Carmel, Center Grove, and Brownsburg would dominate in this format though.

Not that I think we’d disagree on this, but I’d point out that in the “Big Sports” the HCC has caught up with Carmel.

Would the hounds dominate most of the other sports?? Probably…especially swimming (and tennis?).

But HCC schools seem to be right there with Carmel in Football & Basketball

3 hours ago, foxbat said:

I find it interesting that folks are highlighting p/p schools as something that this would impact most.  Realize that WeBo won three consecutive 2A titles in 2018-2020.  Of interest is that Luers, who WeBo beat in their third-straight appearance, said nary a word about the supposed "injustice," but I do recall a few public school posters giving WeBo a hard time about that. 

Also, Pioneer had three visits in a row to LOS in 2016-2018 in 1A and actually had four visits in five years 2014-2018.  In contrast, Scecina had only two visits in 2011-2012, lost both, and got bumped to 2A ... the only team, in the history of SF, to get bumped without getting a blue ring in the process. 

While Lutheran and Mater Dei COULD indeed join the club, the programs that have ACTUALLY benefited from the set periods re-evals are public programs.

My belief is that it should be a rolling 4 year cycle...not just 2.  With a two year cycle in a specific window (what we have now)...you will always have MORE of these instances.  Exactly what I think you are trying to point out.

However it is also accurate that MOST of the success factor examples are p/p's.  100% true that a public can also skate through our current SF cycle rules. 

To keep the p/p apologists from soiling their diapers I heretoforth declare I shall always utilize Western Boone as my first example of any success factor flaw for the entirety of my existance on GID.  If not, may my next bowl of lucky charms be without marshmallows!  I hope this calms the hearts of the holy fathers

🤪

15 hours ago, Julio said:

If you take back to back years for the rolling success factor does that mean that teams will be moved up and down each season?  At least with the current 2 year window, you know who is moving up and down in the next alignment.

Yes.  teams that accrue enough points in any previous two seasons would move up, those that have been SF’d up and don’t earn enough points to “stay up” in any previous two years would move down.  
 

Sectionals would  need to be adjusted each year for those teams.  This is not insurmountable.

14 hours ago, XStar said:

If it's rolling can a team only be bumped up for 1 season?

No.  It’s always a two season move.  It just doesn’t have to be in a specific “window” of two seasons.

Harder to do in football because you can only have one game a week for the tournament.  Basketball can adjust the number of games in the sectional, regional, semistate "tournaments" if needed.

21 hours ago, MarshallCounty said:

Nahh, Goshen football is struggling.

 

Regardless....you labeled the divisions by size.  Goshen is quite a bit larger than NR.  And this is a not a football only conference.  They should be swapped if your gonna go with "Bigs" & "Littles".  Now when enought Goshen people move to NR, Fairfield, and NW that it changes...you can swap them.  

3 hours ago, MarshallCounty said:

I don’t see Mishawaka leaving the NLC, they seem to be happy there. Would NLC be open to Penn, Elkhart, St. Joe, Marian joining the NLC and splitting into the Big and Small Divisions. 
....

This isn't the worst idea in the world.  I don't see this having a high chance of occuring, but it could work. 

I'd flip Goshen & Northridge though based on enrollement.  Most of these teams play non-con.  Several have played in football over the years.

I could talk myself into this....just think its not a high chance of happening.

2 hours ago, npcougar15 said:

Penn, Elkhart, Warsaw, Homestead, Carroll, Mishawaka, Goshen, Concord seems like a lot more viable conference than the one above.

New Prairie will NEVER be in a conference with Warsaw or Fort Wayne schools; that's over 2 hours away. And I don't see why a schools like St. Joe or Marian or anybody under 1,000 enrollment would want to be in that conference. 

How likely is Carroll and Homestead able to make their way out of the Fort Wayne bubble?

No argument from me....just saying that a 7 team conference would allow room to add schools.  NP from a competitive perspective would be a fit...but agree on the drive time. 

I don't see Goshen moving from NLC...they struggle to be competitive in much in that league, and are shrinking (they just closed an Elementary).  I don't see them jumping to an almost all 5A/6A schedule. 

I could see Concord and Mishawaka deciding to leave the NLC...it seems like the cavies just got there so not sure how much they'd want change again.

I'll leave it to others to start the debate about whether the two P/P schools need to worry to much about "enrollment"...lol.

I agree with PantherPride though that IF these schools leave the NIC, it puts Penn in a pickle.  I think Penn tries to peel off the best of whats around in the 5A & 6A schools

10 hours ago, HoopsCoach said:

Penn and Elkhart needed to either convince the Duneland schools to take them and expand the conference or put together something new with Homestead, Carroll, and maybe Warsaw.  The time to do it would have been with the Elkhart consolidation, but it’s probably too late now.

Can't agree with this more.

I would argue there may be some hay to be made with the following:

• Penn
• Elkhart
• Warsaw
• StJ
• Mish Mar
• (FW Carroll)
• (Homestead)

Warsaw becomes a LOT more interested if you can pull Homestead & Carroll.  Which would bring you to a decent 7 team conference.  Longest commute is about 90 minutes.  Which is long, but on par for the "long drives" in many other conferences.

I think the new league in the OP along with something like this would be a much better fit for all these schools.  I like it so much I'm going to trademark this the Highway 30's conference (H3C), since there would be a lot of driving on 31, 30, & 33 🤪

At 7 schools you still have room to add a New Prarie or similar, Penn can still play Indy & out of state powers, Warsaw gets a bigger stage to play on instead of just being the big fish in the NLC pond, StJ and MM get to rattle horns with some bigger schools and maybe make some noise to attract some Catholics that maybe were thinking about heading west..

Just my 2 cents and likely worth as much.