Conference changes????

hockeydad · Post by **hockeydad** » Wed Feb 13, 2008 4:11 pm

The following appeared earlier today on the Guillotine forum (The Guillotine is a website that covers a sport called wrestling - kind of like a hockey fight without skates)

With the soon to occur dissolution of the Classic Lake Conference, many of the metro area conferences may find themselves taking on one or more of these schools for 2009. In addition, there are rumblings from the Missota, NW Suburban and Classic Suburban conferences regarding schools like Shakopee, Prior Lake, Richfield, St. Louis Park who may be looking for new homes in 2009. The Lake Conference is due to add a 12th school when the new Chanhassen High School opens its doors the fall of 2009. Has the Lake become too big?
March 10th there will be a meeting at the MSHSL Office for representatives of schools and conferences who are/may be looking to change things up a bit. Look for some serious conference re-allignment before the 2009-10 season.

Does anyone know anything about this? I hadn't heard anything about the Classic Lake dissolving:

Reidy09 · Post by **Reidy09** » Fri Feb 15, 2008 7:53 pm

Word is Lake Conference is gonna be SPLIT.

eagle4life9 · Post by **eagle4life9** » Fri Feb 15, 2008 7:55 pm

Yup the Lake will probably split and may take in some teams from the Classic Lake (Edina, Minnetonka, etc.) but whoever they take they are going to stay even so they can make two divisions and then in some sports play a conference championship.

STEV16 · Post by **STEV16** » Fri Feb 15, 2008 9:42 pm

so split like 6/7/8 in each??-I guess the number would depend on how many they take in, and how they will split up my guess would depend on location of the school?.... when is this going to be official? Couple weeks after state?

goldy313 · Post by **goldy313** » Fri Feb 15, 2008 10:48 pm

The timing is interesting, the 2009-2010 school year is the next time sections will be realigned.

I ref high school football and durig the year I had heard about a major shift in the whole process. I had a conversation with a head coach that had to do with the possibility, probabilty of going to the Iowa system and conferences going away for football in 2009 and only sections played thereby giving all kids more games but not everyone makes the playoffs. In other sports all teams will then be broken up into conferences and districts, you play your conference schedule and district schedule concurrantly, come playoff time teams are seeded by district wining %, ties are broken by criteria, 13 of them (ending by a rotaing system based on the alphabet). This has major advantages as it does away with any coaches voting, at all times during the season teams know where they stand, and it keeps teams from running up the score. When I coached in Iowa many years ago we voted on the 2 teams we sent to the state playoffs, it was a horrible system.

When Cretin was moved ito the SEC it was hard on everybody, nobody won except the St. Paul City conference. Many other conferences have problems as well a system like Iowa uses puts everyone on the same playing field.

BTW the oddest team mascot of all time is the Esterville (IA) Midgets.

Cabela10 · Post by **Cabela10** » Fri Feb 15, 2008 10:54 pm

I heard that Richfield will be dumping it's boys' hockey program because it doesn't have the numbers to field a team. I believe I heard that the 2008-2009 year will be there last, unless something major changes with their youth program.

Doug Mackenzie · Post by **Doug Mackenzie** » Fri Feb 15, 2008 11:04 pm

As far as the west metro, what about this:

Lake Conference:

Wayzata
Minnetonka
Edina
Eden Prairie
Jefferson
Chaska
Chanhassen

Dakota Conference:

Apple Valley
Eagan
Eastview
Rosemount
Burnsville
Lakeville North
Lakeville South

Inner Ring:

Armstrong
Cooper
Hopkins
St. Louis Park
Richfield
Kennedy
Park Center?

Makes sense for most sports.

Cabela10 · Post by **Cabela10** » Fri Feb 15, 2008 11:12 pm

Those look good to me.

Classic Suburban Conference

Park of Cottage Grove
Hastings
Woodbury
Hill Murray
Simley(Inver Grove Heights)
Sibley(West St. Paul)
St. Thomas Academy
South St. Paul

It looks very similar to the old Suburban Conference without Hill Murray, could even name it something cool like the Mississippi River Conference since all the cities/schools run along the river.

STEV16 · Post by **STEV16** » Fri Feb 15, 2008 11:15 pm

I imagine if this does happen, they will try and keep teams in the same conference that are also in the same district... but they will also try to make the as even as possible with population and everything. Should be interesting...

Doug Mackenzie · Post by **Doug Mackenzie** » Fri Feb 15, 2008 11:49 pm

Moving East:

Northwest Suburban:

Anoka
Andover
Blaine
Coon Rapids
Champlin Park
Osseo
Maple Grove
Elk River

North Suburban:

Spring Lake Park
Irondale
St. Francis
Chisago Lakes
North Branch (all sports except hockey)
Fridley (all sports except hockey)
Columbia Heights (all sports except hockey)
St. Paul Johnson (hockey only)
St. Paul Como Park (hockey only)
Mpls. East (hockey only)
Mpls. West (hockey only)

Suburban East:

Centennial
Mounds View
Roseville
White Bear Lake
Forest Lake
Stillwater
Woodbury
Hastings

Classic Suburban:

Park
East Ridge (opens in '09)
Tartan
North St. Paul
Henry Sibley
South St. Paul
Simley
Mahtomedi

Catholic Conference:

Cretin
Hill-Murray
Holy Angels
Benilde
St. Thomas
Totino-Grace

Cabela10 · Post by **Cabela10** » Sat Feb 16, 2008 12:11 am

Doug, I like the way you are thinking on some things but I don't think we will EVER see a Catholic Conference and I can't see Hastings being in the same conference with Centennial, do you realize how far of a drive that is? About an 45 minutes to an hour with traffic.

Neutron 14 · Post by **Neutron 14** » Sat Feb 16, 2008 12:26 am

Cabela10 wrote:Dough, I like the way you are thinking on some things but I don't think we will EVER see a Catholic Conference and I can't see Hastings being in the same conference with Centennial, do you realize how far of a drive that is? About an 45 minutes to an hour with traffic.

Centennial tried to join that conference before, and were rejected. And I think Forest Lake is farther to Hastings than Centennial.

mnpuckmaster · Post by **mnpuckmaster** » Sat Feb 16, 2008 12:31 am

Cabela10 wrote:Dough, I like the way you are thinking on some things but I don't think we will EVER see a Catholic Conference and I can't see Hastings being in the same conference with Centennial, do you realize how far of a drive that is? About an 45 minutes to an hour with traffic.

There has been rumblings for almost three years now about a Dakota County Conference. The prototype looked like this:

Lakeville North
Lakeville South
Farmington
Hastings
Rosemount
Eagan
Apple Valley
Eastview

Now that makes some serious sense in the $3.00/gallon age.

the one to love · Post by **the one to love** » Sat Feb 16, 2008 12:45 am

mnpuckmaster wrote:
Cabela10 wrote:Dough, I like the way you are thinking on some things but I don't think we will EVER see a Catholic Conference and I can't see Hastings being in the same conference with Centennial, do you realize how far of a drive that is? About an 45 minutes to an hour with traffic.
There has been rumblings for almost three years now about a Dakota County Conference. The prototype looked like this:

Lakeville North
Lakeville South
Farmington
Hastings
Rosemount
Eagan
Apple Valley
Eastview

Now that makes some serious sense in the $3.00/gallon age.

X2!!!

Cabela10 · Post by **Cabela10** » Sat Feb 16, 2008 1:29 am

mnpuckmaster wrote:
Cabela10 wrote:Dough, I like the way you are thinking on some things but I don't think we will EVER see a Catholic Conference and I can't see Hastings being in the same conference with Centennial, do you realize how far of a drive that is? About an 45 minutes to an hour with traffic.
There has been rumblings for almost three years now about a Dakota County Conference. The prototype looked like this:

Lakeville North
Lakeville South
Farmington
Hastings
Rosemount
Eagan
Apple Valley
Eastview

Now that makes some serious sense in the $3.00/gallon age.

Agree. Great looking conference right there.

STEV16 · Post by **STEV16** » Sat Feb 16, 2008 9:56 am

The Dakota Conference would make sense, and be very cool if it were to happen. That would make room for more non-conference games for these teams, which would be nice since teams in the lake are limited now because of the large conference compared to other teams.

hockeyjunkie2 · Post by **hockeyjunkie2** » Sat Feb 16, 2008 12:30 pm

Doug Mackenzie wrote:As far as the west metro, what about this:

Lake Conference:

Wayzata
Minnetonka
Edina
Eden Prairie
Jefferson
Chaska
Chanhassen

Dakota Conference:

Apple Valley
Eagan
Eastview
Rosemount
Burnsville
Lakeville North
Lakeville South

Inner Ring:

Armstrong
Cooper
Hopkins
St. Louis Park
Richfield
Kennedy
Park Center?

Makes sense for most sports.

This won't happen if there is conference changes what I have heard is that The lake will expand to 16 teams and then split into an East and West side it would look something like this.

EAST
Apple Valley
Eastview
Rosemount
Eagan
Burnsville
Lakeville South
Lakeville North
(Farmington or Prior Lake)

WEST
Eden Prairie
Chaska
Edina
Wayzata
Minnetonka
Hopkins
Armstrong
(The new Chaska high school going up in I think 2 years)

This would drop the 2 Bloomington schools into the Missota.

There has also been different variations of some teams coming and going and what not. With the bloomington's staying and other teams going or even making it 10 on each side I have heard. It's set up more like an SEC in college football.

Pucknutz69 · Post by **Pucknutz69** » Sat Feb 16, 2008 12:33 pm

Cabela10 wrote:
mnpuckmaster wrote:
Cabela10 wrote:Dough, I like the way you are thinking on some things but I don't think we will EVER see a Catholic Conference and I can't see Hastings being in the same conference with Centennial, do you realize how far of a drive that is? About an 45 minutes to an hour with traffic.
There has been rumblings for almost three years now about a Dakota County Conference. The prototype looked like this:

Lakeville North
Lakeville South
Farmington
Hastings
Rosemount
Eagan
Apple Valley
Eastview

Now that makes some serious sense in the $3.00/gallon age.
Agree. Great looking conference right there.

If it's Dakota County then don't forget SSP, Simley and Henry Sibley.

mnpuckmaster · Post by **mnpuckmaster** » Sat Feb 16, 2008 9:00 pm

Pucknutz69 wrote:
Cabela10 wrote:
mnpuckmaster wrote: There has been rumblings for almost three years now about a Dakota County Conference. The prototype looked like this:

Lakeville North
Lakeville South
Farmington
Hastings
Rosemount
Eagan
Apple Valley
Eastview

Now that makes some serious sense in the $3.00/gallon age.
Agree. Great looking conference right there.
If it's Dakota County then don't forget SSP, Simley and Henry Sibley.

Not really forgetting about them, it's just that those schools (SSP, etc) are very landlocked, and again, closer to being a "Suburban" school. Therefore the Classic Suburban making sense. The schools mentoned (Lakevilles, Hastings, Eastview, etc.) are all seperated by County Road 42, and 50, making the rivalries something that would be a great thing for sports in the area. Sorry for rambling, just my two cents.

black sheep · Post by **black sheep** » Sat Feb 16, 2008 9:05 pm

mnpuckmaster wrote:
Cabela10 wrote:Dough, I like the way you are thinking on some things but I don't think we will EVER see a Catholic Conference and I can't see Hastings being in the same conference with Centennial, do you realize how far of a drive that is? About an 45 minutes to an hour with traffic.
There has been rumblings for almost three years now about a Dakota County Conference. The prototype looked like this:

Lakeville North
Lakeville South
Farmington
Hastings
Rosemount
Eagan
Apple Valley
Eastview

Now that makes some serious sense in the $3.00/gallon age.

Trust me, the cost of travel should make no difference in getting a quality schedule.

SECHockeyFan · Post by **SECHockeyFan** » Sun Feb 17, 2008 10:23 am

Neutron 14 wrote:
Cabela10 wrote:Dough, I like the way you are thinking on some things but I don't think we will EVER see a Catholic Conference and I can't see Hastings being in the same conference with Centennial, do you realize how far of a drive that is? About an 45 minutes to an hour with traffic.
Centennial tried to join that conference before, and were rejected. And I think Forest Lake is farther to Hastings than Centennial.

Hastings is around 45 minutes away from about half the schools in the SEC.

SEMinnHockeyNut · Post by **SEMinnHockeyNut** » Sun Feb 17, 2008 11:06 am

do you realize how far of a drive that is? About an 45 minutes to an hour with traffic.

OH NO! Not an hour drive! What will they do?
Obviously this guy has no idea how far other teams currently travel for conference games.

lakec · Post by **lakec** » Sun Feb 17, 2008 11:16 am

mnpuckmaster wrote:
Cabela10 wrote:Dough, I like the way you are thinking on some things but I don't think we will EVER see a Catholic Conference and I can't see Hastings being in the same conference with Centennial, do you realize how far of a drive that is? About an 45 minutes to an hour with traffic.
There has been rumblings for almost three years now about a Dakota County Conference. The prototype looked like this:

Lakeville North
Lakeville South
Farmington
Hastings
Rosemount
Eagan
Apple Valley
Eastview

Now that makes some serious sense in the $3.00/gallon age.

Good looking conference but it sure would be a downgrade for the current Lake conf. schools. Losing Jefferson, B'vill, EP for Farmington and Hastings. But if things are changed and the powers that be are looking for proximity this makes sense.

Cabela10 · Post by **Cabela10** » Sun Feb 17, 2008 2:08 pm

SEMinnHockeyNut wrote:do you realize how far of a drive that is? About an 45 minutes to an hour with traffic.

OH NO! Not an hour drive! What will they do?
Obviously this guy has no idea how far other teams currently travel for conference games.

Smart guy, it shouldn't be this way. Hastings use to play in a conference with the east dakota teams, ssp, simley, sibley, st. thomas and washington teams, woodbury, cottage grove. Why should they have to drive so far to play there games now? Why should anybody? Section play, sure, but not conference play, Why do you think the Big Ten is all in one region of the country, same with all other conferences. Keep it local.

mnpuckmaster · Post by **mnpuckmaster** » Sun Feb 17, 2008 2:17 pm

Cabela10 wrote:
SEMinnHockeyNut wrote:do you realize how far of a drive that is? About an 45 minutes to an hour with traffic.

OH NO! Not an hour drive! What will they do?
Obviously this guy has no idea how far other teams currently travel for conference games.
Smart guy, it shouldn't be this way. Hastings use to play in a conference with the east dakota teams, ssp, simley, sibley, st. thomas and washington teams, woodbury, cottage grove. Why should they have to drive so far to play there games now? Why should anybody? Section play, sure, but not conference play, Why do you think the Big Ten is all in one region of the country, same with all other conferences. Keep it local.

Amen Cabela! A---Men!