Hoosier Hills Conference

[ptr]

8 hours ago, Impartial_Observer said:

In talking to some folks at the BB sectional, BNL thinks they’re dropping to 3A

They came close to it. The recent classifications show that BNL was next to last in enrollment among 4A BB schools.

[Impartial_Observer]

12 hours ago, Frozen Tundra said:

Maybe in basketball but they’re nowhere close to 3A in football.

my mistake you are correct. 

[Fkfootball]

On 3/6/2026 at 3:23 PM, Frozen Tundra said:

Retracting my prediction about BNL being in 4A sectional 23. Sectional 21 will need to be the lone 4A sectional with seven teams in the event Cathedral falls back to 4A in 2027 (which is probably likely as they need to advance to state in order to remain in 5A). Therefore, I predict BNL gets sent to sectional 24 to fill the spot vacated by Washington now that they’re moving down to 3A. BNL will join Boonville, Evansville Bosse, Evansville Central, Evansville Harrison, Evansville Reitz, Heritage Hills, and Jasper. It should be noted that BNL played in this sectional back in 2023.

I don't get it. Are people moving out of Lawrence County. That seems like a place they could grow.

[Frozen Tundra]

13 hours ago, Fkfootball said:

I don't get it. Are people moving out of Lawrence County. That seems like a place they could grow.

You’d have to ask someone from Lawrence County that question. Unfortunately, the BNL fans that used to be on here are nowhere to be found these days.

[ptr]

2 hours ago, Frozen Tundra said:

You’d have to ask someone from Lawrence County that question. Unfortunately, the BNL fans that used to be on here are nowhere to be found these days.

Bedford/Lawrence County has pretty much been stagnant from a population standpoint. The local economy had been dependent a lot on the automotive industry and the limestone industry and there have been cutbacks in employment in those areas. They used to have a Ford plant there that has been shut down, while GM still has a presence there. So, as far as employment goes, there is not a lot there to attract new residents. There are quite a few residents in Lawrence County that work in Bloomington/Monroe County and are employed at the several medical facilities that are there, as well as IU. Some residents are also employed at the Crane Naval facility which is not far away. Like with a lot of areas, people are waiting to have children at a much older age, and families are just not quite as big as they used to be, and that reflects on the school populations. 

That's my two cents on it which may be off-based, and maybe someone with more knowledge of the situation can give a better explanation for it. 

[Fkfootball]

I like Lawrence County. I'd live there. Bedford is a nice town.

[ptr]

8 hours ago, Fkfootball said:

I like Lawrence County. I'd live there. Bedford is a nice town.

Bedford is a great place to live, and I have a close friend that lives there. They just need to attract employers to try and keep up with what jobs they have lost over the years. 

[crimsonace1]

On 3/7/2026 at 11:41 PM, Fkfootball said:

I don't get it. Are people moving out of Lawrence County. That seems like a place they could grow.

Lawrence County has seen a bit of a dip in population, like many rural counties, but it seems the people who are there either aren't having as many kids, or they're home schooling/sending them elsewhere. 

[TheMadness1]

It’s mid-April any fire to go with the Bloomington South to HHC smoke that’s was noticeable last month?  Or is HHC acting content with where they are with 7 teams, give or take Jennings Co. football?

[southend]

9 hours ago, TheMadness1 said:

It’s mid-April any fire to go with the Bloomington South to HHC smoke that’s was noticeable last month?  Or is HHC acting content with where they are with 7 teams, give or take Jennings Co. football?

Hope they don’t go to the conference. Hhc needs to stay hhc. South needs to stay north. 

[Frozen Tundra]

10 hours ago, southend said:

Hope they don’t go to the conference. Hhc needs to stay hhc. South needs to stay north. 

What the heck does that mean?

[southend]

11 hours ago, Frozen Tundra said:

What the heck does that mean?

lol, they don’t need to get in a conference that consists of schools south of Bloomington. Central Indiana is where the 5a competition is. 

[Impartial_Observer]

I think the issue is more a 5A one, rather than geography. 

[Frozen Tundra]

3 hours ago, southend said:

lol, they don’t need to get in a conference that consists of schools south of Bloomington. Central Indiana is where the 5a competition is. 

1. Were you aware Bloomington North was once in the HHC?

2. If Bloomington South had better options out there then they would take them. Joining a conference helps alleviate a scheduling nightmare and if the HHC is their best option then they’d be dumb not to take it.

[Impartial_Observer]

6 hours ago, Frozen Tundra said:

1. Were you aware Bloomington North was once in the HHC?

2. If Bloomington South had better options out there then they would take them. Joining a conference helps alleviate a scheduling nightmare and if the HHC is their best option then they’d be dumb not to take it.

I hear you, but BHSN isn’t BHSS, and I can’t explain it, but you’ve been around long enough to know what I’m saying. 

[RetiredSouthernCoach]

Bloomington folks say they should know this week whether they get in the HHC. Spring HHC meeting this week sometime. Not sure the timeline if they were admitted. 

[Frozen Tundra]

2 hours ago, Impartial_Observer said:

I hear you, but BHSN isn’t BHSS, and I can’t explain it, but you’ve been around long enough to know what I’m saying. 

I know what you’re saying but I also know Center Grove had a hard enough time scheduling as an independent for the three or four years they’ve been one. That’s why they had to tuck their tail between their legs and ask the old girlfriend (the MIC) to take them back.

[btownqbcoach1]

2 hours ago, Frozen Tundra said:

I know what you’re saying but I also know Center Grove had a hard enough time scheduling as an independent for the three or four years they’ve been one. That’s why they had to tuck their tail between their legs and ask the old girlfriend (the MIC) to take them back.

CG is a completely different animal to schedule that Bloomington South, buuuuut, yes, its for sure harder to schedule as an independent. 

I feel like-- you could get games with North, Col North, Col East, East Central every year, pretty easily.... surely you could get some of Mooresville, Martinsville, Plainfield, DC, Greenwood to agree to some games... Floyd Central

Terre Haute schools for the time being, Roncalli, Chatard, Northview... look to Evansville now that Vincennes is out. 

Castle, Evansville North. 

[TheMadness1]

Has anyone done a deep dive speculation on approximately where Bloomington South would currently fall in most of the sports?  I’m guessing bug part of the decisions making will come down to their projected spot in football and basketball totum pole, but what about several of the other sports.   If casting a wide net it’s safe to say top 1/2 to top 1/3 in almost all sports, but anyone want to give it a go at bring more accurate per sport?    

 

Also, is Bloomington South the only school with even the potential of adding.  Or with a little coaxing could there be another one out there worth trying.  I guessing a big part of the considerstion comes down to getting back to 8 teams.  But in some ADs minds is the conference really at 8 teams is Jennings Co is mostly MIA in football with the possibility of entertaining a conference offer if an opportunity were there in a year or two.  To me securing a stable future of the HHC is importer to most schools.  Taking on Bloomington South may stabilize it for now.  Are they even a long time fix or could we see them leave as the conference landscape changes again in next 5 years? Is there another long term option to help shore up the HHC out there that may just need a little sweet talking?

Edited April 15 by TheMadness1

[Frozen Tundra]

51 minutes ago, btownqbcoach1 said:

CG is a completely different animal to schedule that Bloomington South, buuuuut, yes, its for sure harder to schedule as an independent. 

I feel like-- you could get games with North, Col North, Col East, East Central every year, pretty easily.... surely you could get some of Mooresville, Martinsville, Plainfield, DC, Greenwood to agree to some games... Floyd Central

Terre Haute schools for the time being, Roncalli, Chatard, Northview... look to Evansville now that Vincennes is out. 

Castle, Evansville North. 

The big issue for Center Grove was how independence trickled down and drastically had a negative effect on their middle school scheduling. If I remember correctly, their football teams had to rack up some crazy mileage just to find games. I never realized independence could affect middle school sports as well so that was eye-opening.

I think they could make most sports schedules work but, with football only being played once a week, it’s like a jigsaw puzzle trying to find what opponents fit where. Bloomington South’s rivals, Bloomington North and Martinsville, only have open weeks the first two weeks. BHSN has to be played week 1 because they have their annual BNL game in week 2. Likewise, Martinsville has to be played in week 2 because they have their annual BNL game in week 1. Most teams play conference schedules from weeks 3 through 9 so now your number of potential opponents becomes very limited. Unless John Harrell’s site hasn’t been updated, this is why South still has no opponents for weeks 4, 5, and 7.

[Frozen Tundra]

59 minutes ago, TheMadness1 said:

Has anyone done a deep dive speculation on approximately where Bloomington South would currently fall in most of the sports?  I’m guessing bug part of the decisions making will come down to their projected spot in football and basketball totum pole, but what about several of the other sports.   If casting a wide net it’s safe to say top 1/2 to top 1/3 in almost all sports, but anyone want to give it a go at bring more accurate per sport?    

 

Also, is Bloomington South the only school with even the potential of adding.  Or with a little coaxing could there be another one out there worth trying.  I guessing a big part of the considerstion comes down to getting back to 8 teams.  But in some ADs minds is the conference really at 8 teams is Jennings Co is mostly MIA in football with the possibility of entertaining a conference offer if an opportunity were there in a year or two.  To me securing a stable future of the HHC is importer to most schools.  Taking on Bloomington South may stabilize it for now.  Are they even a long time fix or could we see them leave as the conference landscape changes again in next 5 years? Is there another long term option to help shore up the HHC out there that may just need a little sweet talking?

I can’t say with any certainty what each sport looks like but top 3 in each sport seems accurate. Columbus North held an invitational track meet on Saturday. The boys event had ten schools and the girls had nine. Columbus East and Floyd Central participated. If the results of the event mean anything then Bloomington South probably wins both the boys and girls HHC championships. South was really good at track even back when I was in high school. Regardless, South will definitely challenge Floyd Central for the all-sports title.

Is Jennings County looking for a new conference home? Yes. However, they haven’t had any success in finding suitors. Therefore, to ensure a more hopeful future for the football program, they had to bite the bullet and go independent in football. They couldn’t wait any longer.

If Bloomington South is accepted in the HHC, will they be in it for the longterm? I doubt it. The HHC is just a temporary solution until they find something more competitive. As far as basketball, maybe baseball, and wrestling are concerned, I think they will find it sufficiently competitive. Outside of that, it should be a cakewalk. Correct me if I’m wrong.

As to whether the HHC is looking for other potential candidates for expansion, I don’t know for sure but there have been rumors to suggest it’s possible. I have multiple sources telling me completely opposite things so it’s hard to decipher what’s fact and what’s fiction. I’ve heard Columbus North wanted in but Columbus East blocked it, and I’ve heard Columbus North wants nothing to do with the HHC. I’ve heard Silver Creek and Charlestown want in, and I’ve heard Silver Creek and Charlestown want nothing to do with the HHC and are more than happy being in the Mid-Southern Conference. Considering his connections to all of it, @btownqbcoach would have a better idea than I would although I don’t know if he would be allowed to confirm anything.

[btownqbcoach1]

1 hour ago, Frozen Tundra said:

The big issue for Center Grove was how independence trickled down and drastically had a negative effect on their middle school scheduling. If I remember correctly, their football teams had to rack up some crazy mileage just to find games. I never realized independence could affect middle school sports as well so that was eye-opening.

I think they could make most sports schedules work but, with football only being played once a week, it’s like a jigsaw puzzle trying to find what opponents fit where. Bloomington South’s rivals, Bloomington North and Martinsville, only have open weeks the first two weeks. BHSN has to be played week 1 because they have their annual BNL game in week 2. Likewise, Martinsville has to be played in week 2 because they have their annual BNL game in week 1. Most teams play conference schedules from weeks 3 through 9 so now your number of potential opponents becomes very limited. Unless John Harrell’s site hasn’t been updated, this is why South still has no opponents for weeks 4, 5, and 7.

Muncie Central open week 4-- wow those color schemes are similar

Greenfield is open week 5

Ev North still has Vincennes on their week 7 slate-- could pick them up moving forward

Cathedral open week 7 this year

[Frozen Tundra]

32 minutes ago, btownqbcoach1 said:

Muncie Central open week 4-- wow those color schemes are similar

Greenfield is open week 5

Ev North still has Vincennes on their week 7 slate-- could pick them up moving forward

Cathedral open week 7 this year

Yeah I noticed that. Seems like they could easily just schedule all those teams. I wonder what the hold up is.

[TheMadness1]

I’m being told they (Bloomington South) got added or at least have the AD votes to be once the official vote occurs soon.   

 

So as mentioned earlier anyone want to give a shot at breaking down where they will fall at several of the sports.  

[TheMadness1]

6 minutes ago, TheMadness1 said:

I’m being told they (Bloomington South) got added or at least have the AD votes to be once the official vote occurs soon.   

So as mentioned earlier anyone want to give a shot at breaking down where they will fall at several of the sports.  

Yes the source is very reliable if you are thinking it’s just rumors still.