Dissolve the IRC

[greenway1969]

The IRC is a shadow of its former self. Declining enrollment and the limited interest shown by the remaining students give little hope for the IRC returning as a viable conference. Instead, the teams that have strong programs in Northeastern Minnesota should realign into a new conference, the Arrowhead Conference. The following teams would make for a strong conference:

Cloquet-Esko-Carlton
Duluth Denfeld
Duluth Marshall
Grand Rapids
Hermantown
Hibbing
International Falls
Superior, WI
Virginia

Most of the teams already play each other so scheduling would not be a major obstacle. Duluth East would probably be uninterested in joining.

Teams that need to better their programs could form a second conference,
the Polar Conference.

Ely
Eveleth-Gilbert
Greenway
Moose Lake
Northern Lakes
Proctor
Two Harbors
Silver Bay
Walker

Duluth Central will not exist after this year.

[Rocketwrister]

Thats not a bad idea; but I doubt schools will go for that. Most other schools that are in a conference have to stay for their other sports (such as cloquet in the lake superior..due to volley ball, etc.) If Cloquet were to go independent, I believe they would have to drop out completely out of the LSC.

I could be wrong, but maybe thats with other schools too (GR, Hermantown, etc.)

[karl(east)]

Makes sense to me; it creates two pretty good categories for competitiveness.

And yeah, Duluth East isn't interested.

[northwoods oldtimer]

I agree with Greenway1969, this is the way to go for sure that benefits all of the schools mentioned.

[northernnett]

Looks good on screen, but I don't see Rapids or CEC going to single A hockey. How long will Virginia compete?

[karl(east)]

Looks good on screen, but I don't see Rapids or CEC going to single A hockey. How long will Virginia compete?

These are conferences, not sections. Rapids and Cloquet can stay in AA.

[Ranger25]

I like this idea.

[RoundBaller]

Int'l Falls is only half the size of any of those other schools. There's no way they would compete.

[nickmon3]

I think this would work well. Most of these schools already play each other so you might as well put them in the same conference.

[HShockeywatcher]

As has been said in discussing Holy Angels, conferences have the same for all schools. Just like in college (with the exception of hockey in SOME places). The answer here is to do what you can to bring hockey back in those places.

Imagine if we got back to where there were 7 competitive MPLS hockey teams and 7 competitive STP hockey teams. It starts with youth hockey. When the youth programs grow, the high school programs will.

[ranger1313]

Int'l Falls is only half the size of any of those other schools. There's no way they would compete.

And Rousseau is not even half the size the schools they play against. small school does not equal bad team, especially were there is a reputation for decent hockey programs like IFalls,

[RoundBaller]

I assume you're talking about Roseau. They should be playing much bigger schools, they chose to be AA. I believe the topic was about the IRC.

[wildfanatic16]

Int'l Falls is only half the size of any of those other schools. There's no way they would compete.

They compete year in and year out against Virgina, Hibbing, Rapids, and the rest of the IRC. Even though they have only 400 kids enrolled in there school they have a good program and almost always have good teams. To say they wouldnt compete is stupid and wrong