Seven schools may split from O-K Conference and form own league
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. - There’s going to be a shakeup in the Ottawa-Kent Conference and it could happen as soon as the 2024-25 school year.
A group of at least seven O-K Conference schools are seriously considering forming their own league and breaking away from the O-K, according to sources.
Since April, there have been a series of meetings with at least 12 school superintendents to gauge interest in a new conference.
I have spoken to four athletic directors and superintendents who have confirmed that the seven schools who will band together to for a potential new league are:
Allendale
Cedar Springs
Coopersville
Greenville
Kenowa Hills
Lowell
Sparta
I have contacted all the schools via email and spoken to two superintendents and two athletic directors from these schools.
Only one would speak on the record: Sparta Area Schools Superintendent Joel Stoner. He wanted to make it clear that he is speaking only for his district.
“If we do end up leaving, there’s a missed opportunity to reflect on the league,” Stoner said. “We’re not important to them. We don’t move the needle. So we’re forced to make a decision we’d rather not make.”
I reached out to O-K Conference Commissioner Dave Feenstra for comment.
“Right now I don’t have anything official from any school regarding a request to withdraw from the OK Conference,” he said.
The schools say they are frustrated with the new O-K Conference realignment for the 2024 school year.
“The O-K Red is the only one that doesn’t change,” Stoner said. “The rest of us, every five years, we’re one vote away from being shifted around.”
Travel is the biggest issue, the schools said. Other issues are the athletic dominance of the private schools and the lack of JV and freshman programs in some districts.
“For Greenville, how is it sensible to drive to Muskegon?” Stoner said. “I can see why the Muskegon kids wouldn’t want to be driving all this way either. How can we have our kids driving an hour away each way? Hopefully people can see the rationale in that.”
There are three O-K schools in Muskegon: Reeths-Puffer, Mona Shores and Muskegon High.
One athletic director said the six large private schools often dominate in sports in the O-K Conference. He brought up the Detroit Catholic League, and suggested that the O-K Conference should do the same. He also said he thinks the three Muskegon schools should not be in the conference since they aren’t in Ottawa or Kent counties.
“We have shared our frustration with the O-K leadership over the last six months,” Stoner said via email, after our initial conversation. “We have not had any discussions to address those concerns from the leadership level. We seek to be in a league where we have consistent competition, both with those who we compete with as well as with competitions for all levels for our teams. The bylaw process has resulted in the leagues we are assigned and can also change our leagues every five years. Mr. Feenstra and Mr. (Jerry) Haggerty are tied to the bylaws. In turn, Sparta has to consider all options for our Student Athletes. That includes consideration of whether to seek permission from the Executive Council for early release, following the release bylaws that would allow us to leave effective the 2026-27 school year or leave regardless of OK action.”
The executive council will meet on Oct. 24.
“We’d love to have more conversations, but it’s not happening,” Stoner said. “So we’re creating our own conversations.”
Stoner said there were several districts that like the idea of a new conference, but decided not to join for various reasons.
“We have to apply with the executive council to pursue other opportunities,” Stoner said. “Other schools have to vote to allow us to leave early. If they don’t allow us, then we have two years in the conference before we can leave. If we don’t do that, we can be blackballed.”
Before the 2016 school year, Hastings High School bolted for the Interstate-8 Conference without approval of the O-K Conference.
“It’s not about wanting to leave the O-K,” Stoner said. “It’s about how can we best suit our athletes to compete in the best area. If we can’t do that, we would wait until (we complete) the process so we aren’t blackballed. So for us, we’d have to suffer through the next two years.”
When asked when the move would happen, one athletic director said it will happen before the 2024 school year. Stoner said that’s a possibility.
“Our ADs feel as long as we have a plan by the first of the year, they can hammer out schedules,” he said.
One athletic director - whose school decided not to join the new conference - said he is concerned that if all seven schools leave at once, it will create a domino effect that will negatively change sports schedules for the next year, especially football.
The seven schools are ready to make a move one way or another.
“The eight of us are in alignment,” Stoner said, referring to a possible eighth school, who might join. “We want what’s best for our kids. I don’t know if all the others have the same commitment from their boards. Sparta schools is leaving. I just can’t tell you when.”
