New O-K Conference realignment has a football-only division

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. - The Ottawa-Kent Conference has released its new realignment for the beginning of the 2024-25 school year for high school sports.

The new revision has proven that high school football is king.

The board voted to create two separate conferences. One just for football and one for all the other sports.

The biggest change is that the seven schools that form the River Cities Alliance are gone and that the O-K Blue Conference is going away and the O-K Black Conference is returning.

O-K RED CONFERENCE

There are no new teams in the O-K Red, but two teams are gone. Jenison and Caledonia have been moved to other conferences. It leaves the O-K Red with just six teams.

O-K WHITE CONFERENCE

This division seems to make the most sense. All three Forest Hills schools are together and Grand Rapids Christian and Grand Rapids Catholic Central will remain together to keep that rivalry going.

O-K BLACK CONFERENCE

For some reason, the board was determined to bring back the O-K Black and get rid of the O-K Blue name. This division is a combination of half former O-K Green teams and half O-K Blue teams. The good thing is, all the teams are geographically close for the most part. So that keeps current rivalries together.

O-K GREEN CONFERENCE

The three Muskegon schools will stay in the same division, but it’s pretty much mishmash of teams. Jenison and Caledonia leave the O-K Red and join the O-K Green. Byron Center leaves the O-K White.

O-K GOLD CONFERENCE

This won’t look anything like the old O-K Gold. There are teams from three conference mixed together in this one. A huge enrollment gap from almost 2,000 at Union and 484 at West Catholic.

O-K SILVER CONFERENCE

Not much change here. Other than Fruiport leaving the O-K Blue and joining the O-K Silver. They are replacing Sparta. This now has the most teams at eight.

Here is the O-K Conference for football-only