Brebeuf Jesuit, Guerin Catholic to join Hoosier Heritage Conference

[crimsonace1]

BREBEUF JESUIT, GUERIN CATHOLIC TO JOIN HOOSIER HERITAGE CONFERENCE

Braves, Golden Eagles will become full members of HHC in 2027-28

 

The Hoosier Heritage Conference is proud to announce the addition of Brebeuf Jesuit Preparatory School and Guerin Catholic High School. Their full participation in the HHC begins in 2027-28, forming an eight-team conference with Greenfield-Central, Lebanon, Mt. Vernon, New Palestine, Pendleton Heights and Yorktown. 

The addition of Brebeuf Jesuit and Guerin Catholic reinforces the HHC’s commitment to fostering competitive and academic excellence, while emphasizing sportsmanship. Both schools already compete against multiple HHC teams in several sports. 

Brebeuf Jesuit and Guerin Catholic both have a history of athletic success and a commitment to academics. They also have a similar enrollment to existing HHC schools. Brebeuf Jesuit has won 22 IHSAA state championships across 10 different sports, most recently the 2024 boys tennis title. Guerin Catholic has eight IHSAA state titles in four sports, including this year’s boys soccer state championship. 

Founding members Greenfield-Central, Mt. Vernon, New Palestine and Pendleton Heights formed the HHC in 1993 with two other schools. Yorktown joined the conference as a full member in 1999. As one of the premier academic and athletic conferences in Indiana, the HHC is poised for continued success. The addition of Brebeuf Jesuit and Guerin Catholic add to an already-great league and expand the membership to eight schools. 

“We are excited to enter a new chapter for Brebeuf Jesuit athletics by joining the Hoosier Heritage Conference. The conference's values around sportsmanship and the role of athletics in a well-rounded education are a great match for Brebeuf, and our students will benefit from the new opportunities that the conference will provide. We are especially looking forward to developing relationships among our schools and learning from one another,” Brebeuf Jesuit principal Greg VanSlambrook said. 

“We are grateful for the opportunity to join the Hoosier Heritage Conference and for the many benefits this partnership will provide for our students, programs, and broader community. “We look forward to building strong relationships and working closely with fellow member schools in the years ahead,” Guerin Catholic principal Christine Williams said. 

With the addition of Brebeuf Jesuit, Guerin Catholic and Lebanon in 2027, the HHC’s eight members will have a combined 58 IHSAA state championships in 13 different sports. 

About the HHC

Since its founding in 1993, the Hoosier Heritage Conference has built a reputation for competitive excellence, strong academics, a commitment to developing the whole student, sportsmanship, integrity and mutual respect. The HHC sponsors championships in 20 varsity sports (10 boys and 10 girls), as well as three academic competitions, and recognizes students and athletes who excel in the classroom and on the athletic fields. 

 

[crimsonace1]

Roncalli has announced that the Circle City Conference - down to two members - will dissolve. Roncalli will go forward as an independent while seeking a conference fit. Presumably, Bishop Chatard will do the same. 

[HoopsCoach]

49 minutes ago, crimsonace1 said:

Roncalli has announced that the Circle City Conference - down to two members - will dissolve. Roncalli will go forward as an independent while seeking a conference fit. Presumably, Bishop Chatard will do the same. 

Roncalli and Chatard may want to consider partnering with Southport and Columbus North (and Bloomington South if they don’t go through with joining the Hoosier Hills) to salvage Conference Indiana.  Several of those schools already have a history of playing in some sports, including football.  Another possibility could be the Sagamore with Harrison, McCutcheon, Danville, TH North, and TH South.

[foxbat]

16 minutes ago, HoopsCoach said:

Roncalli and Chatard may want to consider partnering with Southport and Columbus North (and Bloomington South if they don’t go through with joining the Hoosier Hills) to salvage Conference Indiana.  Several of those schools already have a history of playing in some sports, including football.  Another possibility could be the Sagamore with Harrison, McCutcheon, Danville, TH North, and TH South.

Roncalli and Chatard have history with Harrison; especially on the undercard.  Playing Roncalli and Chatard annual couldn't hurt.

[Impartial_Observer]

4 hours ago, HoopsCoach said:

Roncalli and Chatard may want to consider partnering with Southport and Columbus North (and Bloomington South if they don’t go through with joining the Hoosier Hills) to salvage Conference Indiana.  Several of those schools already have a history of playing in some sports, including football.  Another possibility could be the Sagamore with Harrison, McCutcheon, Danville, TH North, and TH South.

Not likely Roncalli does anything with BHSS, or perhaps those wounds have healed. 

[crimsonace1]

9 hours ago, Impartial_Observer said:

Not likely Roncalli does anything with BHSS, or perhaps those wounds have healed. 

What's the backstory here? 

[Impartial_Observer]

Latter years of Moe’s tenure South backed out of the contract twice. Moe’s gone but the leadership at Roncalli hasn’t changed. I’m sure if it behooves Roncalli they’ll make it happen, but previously BHSS has necessitated a long trip to BFE Ohio to fill a short term void left by BHSS. 

[oldtimeqb]

Should make for some great conference games. 

Forgive me - not trying to hijack the thread, but I need a quick refresher.

Scecina, Ritter, Chatard, and Roncalli - Indianapolis Archdiocese

Brebeuf and Cathedral - Independent 

Guerin - Lafayette Diocese

If that's true, that makes a little more sense why the Circle City Four would go separate ways. 

[crimsonace1]

2 hours ago, oldtimeqb said:

Should make for some great conference games. 

Forgive me - not trying to hijack the thread, but I need a quick refresher.

Scecina, Ritter, Chatard, and Roncalli - Indianapolis Archdiocese

Brebeuf and Cathedral - Independent 

Guerin - Lafayette Diocese

If that's true, that makes a little more sense why the Circle City Four would go separate ways. 

Yes, that's all correct. The boundary between the Archdiocese of Indianapolis and the Diocese of Lafayette is the Marion/Hamilton County line (and basically follows the contiguous county boundaries from the IL to OH borders). 

Cathedral was founded by the Archdiocese of Indianapolis (or probably more accurately, by Bishop Chartrand), but was run by the Brothers of the Holy Cross (or CSC) for years until it became fully independent. 

[coachpadgett71]

Guerin, Brebeuf, Roncalli and Chatard were a package deal when this ball started rolling. In December, the remaining HHC schools voted to invite Brebeuf, Guerin, and Lebanon to create an 8 team conference and left Chatard/Roncalli on the outside looking in. Two HHC schools voted to bring Roncalli and Chatard in.

I don't blame Brebeuf and Guerin for accepting the invites. However, it makes one wonder why 2 private catholic schools were invited and 2 were not.

[fenderbender]

26 minutes ago, coachpadgett71 said:

Guerin, Brebeuf, Roncalli and Chatard were a package deal when this ball started rolling. In December, the remaining HHC schools voted to invite Brebeuf, Guerin, and Lebanon to create an 8 team conference and left Chatard/Roncalli on the outside looking in. Two HHC schools voted to bring Roncalli and Chatard in.

I don't blame Brebeuf and Guerin for accepting the invites. However, it makes one wonder why 2 private catholic schools were invited and 2 were not.

Can confirm all four applied at the same time.  

  Could be as simple as the two weakest schools in football were offered?

GC is 0-10 all time vs Roncalli and 2-18 vs  Chatard. 

BJ has taken a downturn recently 

[BigBrebeufFan]

My guess is that it came down to location and logistics. Most of the conference is north/northeast of 465. Brebeuf is right next to an exit and is close to 31. Guerin has easy access to the NE with 32/69/31. 
 

10 team conference = a closed round robin in football, correct? Makes scheduling a lot easier, but I would be sad to see Chatard and Roncalli drop from the schedule, even if they’re in the same sectional (for now).

If the plan is to leave some open dates with a 7 or 8 game conference football schedule, then I don’t see why those 2 would have been left out. I don’t know how other schedules work, but I doubt it makes a difference between 10 and 12 teams for those sports.

[coachpadgett71]

I agree @fenderbender.

If it was just a football decision that makes sense. However, they are missing out on a big gate and an awesome Friday night atmosphere every year!

Also, when all sports (male and female) are considered, I would argue the HHC teams are right there with Roncalli and Chatard, if not better. It would raise the bar for all schools competition wise and would make for an awesome mid-size conference. 

I feel it was a missed opportunity to compete at the highest level during the regular season—iron sharpens iron. In today’s society, too often we run away from competition and take the path of least resistance. The HHC just had a chance to buck that trend but instead chose the easier path. In doing so, they avoided a challenge that could have elevated the standard of play. Ultimately, they lowered the standard for their future athletes who could have had even more opportunity to be tested, stretched, and prepared to compete at the highest levels in every sport come tourney time.

Just my two cents...

[JustRules]

2 hours ago, coachpadgett71 said:

I agree @fenderbender.

If it was just a football decision that makes sense. However, they are missing out on a big gate and an awesome Friday night atmosphere every year!

Also, when all sports (male and female) are considered, I would argue the HHC teams are right there with Roncalli and Chatard, if not better. It would raise the bar for all schools competition wise and would make for an awesome mid-size conference. 

I feel it was a missed opportunity to compete at the highest level during the regular season—iron sharpens iron. In today’s society, too often we run away from competition and take the path of least resistance. The HHC just had a chance to buck that trend but instead chose the easier path. In doing so, they avoided a challenge that could have elevated the standard of play. Ultimately, they lowered the standard for their future athletes who could have had even more opportunity to be tested, stretched, and prepared to compete at the highest levels in every sport come tourney time.

Just my two cents...

I agree those would have created more great games. It's too bad it didn't work out. Conference realign every year, and I would expect Chatard and Roncalli to be desirable schools for most conferences. Someone mentioned geography, but Chatard and Roncalli are easier to access to most of the existing schools than Guerin or Brebeuf. I doubt geography played into it. If I had to guess, it would be bad blood with some prior recruiting instances. Brebeuf and Guerin are much less likely to get students from those communities. Chatard is close enough to Mt. Vernon while Roncalli and New Pal may have had some battles in the past. Those would have made some great matchups though!

[fenderbender]

22 hours ago, coachpadgett71 said:

I agree @fenderbender.

If it was just a football decision that makes sense. However, they are missing out on a big gate and an awesome Friday night atmosphere every year!

Also, when all sports (male and female) are considered, I would argue the HHC teams are right there with Roncalli and Chatard, if not better. It would raise the bar for all schools competition wise and would make for an awesome mid-size conference. 

I feel it was a missed opportunity to compete at the highest level during the regular season—iron sharpens iron. In today’s society, too often we run away from competition and take the path of least resistance. The HHC just had a chance to buck that trend but instead chose the easier path. In doing so, they avoided a challenge that could have elevated the standard of play. Ultimately, they lowered the standard for their future athletes who could have had even more opportunity to be tested, stretched, and prepared to compete at the highest levels in every sport come tourney time.

Just my two cents...

Good comments. 
 

New Pal, Chatard, Roncalli would be a really elite top of the conference in football.   Roncalli runs into New Pal a lot, so there is kind of a natural rivalry there  

Roncalli is really strong in some of the girl’s sports (volleyball, softball) too.   Maybe that had an impact.  Chatard seems at first glance to only be a standout in football

I had hoped this would work out because Roncalli is in a tough spot enrollment wise.   They are so much larger than some of the other private schools (Secina, Ritter, Heritage Christian) that they are not the best fit.   I will also say the quiet part out loud:  the football feud with Cathedral does not help scheduling.

 

 

 

.  

[foxbat]

On 2/13/2026 at 4:40 PM, JustRules said:

I agree those would have created more great games. It's too bad it didn't work out. Conference realign every year, and I would expect Chatard and Roncalli to be desirable schools for most conferences. Someone mentioned geography, but Chatard and Roncalli are easier to access to most of the existing schools than Guerin or Brebeuf. I doubt geography played into it. If I had to guess, it would be bad blood with some prior recruiting instances. Brebeuf and Guerin are much less likely to get students from those communities. Chatard is close enough to Mt. Vernon while Roncalli and New Pal may have had some battles in the past. Those would have made some great matchups though!

Guerin and Brebeuf are two schools not associated with the the Diocese of Indianapolis directly that aren't Cathedral.  Even not being part of the Indy Diocese, Cathedral has it's own considerations that follow it.  Not sure what, if anything that has to do with it, but it is an interesting "coincidence," especially when looking at other things like geography.

[crimsonace1]

9 hours ago, foxbat said:

Guerin and Brebeuf are two schools not associated with the the Diocese of Indianapolis directly that aren't Cathedral.  Even not being part of the Indy Diocese, Cathedral has it's own considerations that follow it.  Not sure what, if anything that has to do with it, but it is an interesting "coincidence," especially when looking at other things like geography.

Guerin *is* a diocesan school, it's just in the Diocese of Lafayette (as Hamilton County is in the Lafayette diocese) and not the Archdiocese of Indianapolis. Was there for basketball last week and there was a banner celebrating the schools in their diocese that feed Guerin. 

Brebeuf's affiliation is with the Jesuits - an order of priests that operates a number of high schools and colleges in the country. Like Cathedral, it is Catholic, but does not have affiliation with the Archdiocese of Indianapolis. 

[foxbat]

4 minutes ago, crimsonace1 said:

Guerin *is* a diocesan school, it's just in the Diocese of Lafayette (as Hamilton County is in the Lafayette diocese) and not the Archdiocese of Indianapolis. Was there for basketball last week and there was a banner celebrating the schools in their diocese that feed Guerin. 

Brebeuf's affiliation is with the Jesuits - an order of priests that operates a number of schools in the state. Like Cathedral, it is Catholic, but does not have affiliation with the Archdiocese of Indianapolis. 

I'm quite aware of that.  That's why I stated that Brebeuf and Guerin are not associated with the Diocese of INDIANAPOLIS.  I'm quite aware of the Diocese of Lafayette-in-Indiana as four of my family members have at one time or another been directly paid by the diocese or one of its parishes.  Again, Guerin is not under direct affiliation with the Indy diocese.  Matter of fact, there are only two high schools in the Diocese of Lafayette-in-Indiana: LCC, the older and smaller brother, and Guerin, the younger and bigger brother.  Makes it easy for the bishop to still be a fan as he splits his time by half between his "sons" on each side when they meet annually.

As for Brebeuf, I'm quite aware of Brebeuf and the Jesuits.  They basically defied the Indy diocese over their insistence that Brebeuf fire a teacher who was in a same-sex marriage.  The Indy diocese then cut ties with Brebeuf with ripples that even saw intervention from the Vatican.

Cathedral is also "unaffiliated" for lack of a better term, but as we are all quite familiar on this site, Cathedral carries a whole complement of luggage that most public schools and conferences wish to directly avoid ... not that it's really hurt Cathedral any.  There's nothing nefarious in Cathedral not being a diocesan school, although I suspect that part of it makes it an appealing school to the state as a whole as opposed to specific diocese or parishes/pastorates.

Again, as I pointed out, Guerin and Brebeuf were the two schools that are not directly affiliated with the Indy diocese that aren't named Cathedral.  One is in a different sphere of control/direction and the other has already made it clear that they don't bend the knee to Indy.  As someone else pointed out, the geography is an odd component in the two picks, so again, there's some interest as to why THESE two?  It's unlikely that it's because they are 3A by enrollment because that's also true of Chatard.  Maybe nothing more than they were considering three and flipped three coins, ala the Odessa Permian, Lee, and Midland playoff coinflip in 1988, but the interesting aspects of not being in the Indy diocese sphere of control seems interesting even if it is coincidence.

[crimsonace1]

15 minutes ago, foxbat said:

Again, as I pointed out, Guerin and Brebeuf were the two schools that are not directly affiliated with the Indy diocese that aren't named Cathedral.  One is in a different sphere of control/direction and the other has already made it clear that they don't bend the knee to Indy.  As someone else pointed out, the geography is an odd component in the two picks, so again, there's some interest as to why THESE two?  It's unlikely that it's because they are 3A by enrollment because that's also true of Chatard.  Maybe nothing more than they were considering three and flipped three coins, ala the Odessa Permian, Lee, and Midland playoff coinflip in 1988, but the interesting aspects of not being in the Indy diocese sphere of control seems interesting even if it is coincidence.

To my knowledge, the majority of the conference decided to invite Guerin and Brebeuf (instead of Roncalli and Chatard). Not sure diocesan affiliation (or lack thereof) had to do with it as much as other factors, travel distance for the northern schools Lebanon/Pendleton Heights/Yorktown being one.