New Conferences for 2024-25 School Year

The new High School Sports Season will see major changes to the area conference line-up in Missouri with some slight changes also in line for Harrison for the upcoming Arkansas High School Season.

When the dust settled from the realignments last year, Branson announced it was leaving its longtime home in the Central Ozark Conference and joining the brand new Ozark Mountain Conference. Carl Junction also moved with Branson from the COC to the OMC which also includes past COC Members Bolivar, Marshfield, and Rogersville. Springfield Hillcrest and West Plains round out the line-up of the OMC.

Meanwhile, the splitting up of the two-division Big 8 Conference back down to one division after several of the east schools decided to leave resulted in Hollister and Reeds Spring along with Springfield Catholic joining the Mid-Lakes Conference. Buffalo also joined that line-up which also includes current members Clever, Fair Grove, Forsyth, and Strafford. 

Several Southwest Central League Schools left that group to join the new Greater Ozarks Conference. Billings, Crane, and Spokane left for the new conference and coupled with Sparta's departure the year before to join the Summit Conference, leaves the SWCL with Blue Eye, Galena, Purdy, and Southwest. Prior to retiring at the end of June, then Blue Eye Superintendent of Schools Doug Arnold stated during an interview on KRZK's "Ozarks Now" program that the intent was to go through the year with the four members seeking other potential schools to join in the future. 

Meanwhile in Arkansas, with conferences set up by the state passed on classification, Harrison will see a change to the 5A West Football Conference. Out from the last two seasons are Dardanelle, Prairie Grove, and Shiloh Christian and in will be Greenbrier, Morrilton, and Vilonia. The other schools continuing in 5A West with the Goblins are Alma, Clarksville, Farmington, and Pea Ridge. 

Most area high school sports seasons are still a couple of weeks from starting but High School Golf competition in Arkansas begins next week.