The N.C. High School Athletic Association has posted a preliminary look at conference realignments set to go into effect in the 2013-14 school year.
The proposal, which won't be finalized until May 2012, was generated by a computer using what NCHSAA spokesperson Rick Strunk said was a "complicated math algorithm designed to minimize travel." It did not consider putting teams from different classifications into the same conference, as many have today.
The proposal brings fairly sweeping changes to the Mecklenburg County conferences. It also brings Union County school Porter Ridge into a CMS league along with A.L. Brown, returning former Butler football coach Mike Newsome to schools he's familiar with. Newsome is now football coach at A.L. Brown, which would become a 4A school and join a Charlotte league along with Concord's J.M. Robinson.
Here are the proposed conferences.
Mecklenburg County Conference 1 (the old Southwestern 4A): Ardrey Kell, Butler, Charlotte Catholic, Myers Park, Olympic, Porter Ridge, Providence, South Mecklenburg.
Mecklenburg County Conference 2 (the old I-MECK 4A): A.L. Brown, Hopewell, Hough, Mallard Creek, Mooresville, North Meck, Robinson, Vance
Mecklenburg County Conference 3 (the old MEGA 7): Berry, East Meck, Garinger, Harding, Independence, Rocky River, West Charlotte, West Mecklenburg
Lake Norman, which had played in a CMS conference, the I-MECK, would move into a league with Alexander Central, McDowell, Skyland Roberson, South Caldwell and Watauga.
East Gaston, which had played in the ME-GA 7, would return to 3A status and join a conference of Gaston County schools: Ashbrook, Forestview, Kings Mountain, North Gaston and South Point.
Strunk stressed that this draft is basically the start of the process.
"We've identified a couple places with extreme travel issues and we will offer a staff proposal that schools can respond to," he said. "Some of the (computer-generated) models will stay. I'm sure others won't."
Strunk said schools have until January to respond to the NCHSAA about the computer model and the upcoming staff model. He said the NCHSAA asks schools who wish to change to have a proposal ready to have talked to schools in other leagues about moving ahead of time.
Ultimately, schools will meet at the NCHSAA offices in January and a final proposal will be voted on by the NCHSAA Board of Directors next May.
You can see the entire state proposal by clicking here.
Wednesday, November 30, 2011
Prep teams to change conferences in 2013, A.L. Brown, Porter Ridge to join CMS schools?
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49 comments:
Why are schools in NC assigned to leagues? In my home state, schools had the ability to apply to join any league (just like college conferences).
It just doesn't make sense to me that NC leagues change every year or two.
Conference 1: Hello there juggernaut.
Well, Porter Ridge really doesn't have anywhere else to go, especially by properly staying in 4A. But Duh Boy, I really will enjoy this year!
There are a great many positives, especially when it comes to playing such high profile schools. Everyone's record is going to be skewed, since we are apt to be beating each other up in Conference play.
Wow...
Charlotte Catholic (moving up)
Myers Park
Providence
Butler
Ardrey Kell
Olympic
South Meck and finally
PORTER RIDGE PIRATES
The ticket prices are going up! We may need our own Conference Network.
I agree, local TV coverage for the new Conference 1 Network can be found on Time Warner Cable Channel 1049!
appears that this has totally destroyed all of the really intense rivalies - between MP, South, Eash, Olympic, Independence....what a shame.m
All NC AD's received the following note today from Commissioner Davis Whitfield of NCHSAA regarding the preliminary realignment proposal:
As you are aware, based on the realignment timeline discussed at the North Carolina High School Athletic Association regional meetings this fall, SAS of Cary agreed to assist the NCHSAA with the process.
SAS, one of the world's leaders in information technology, was charged with creating a program to help develop the initial draft for consideration. SAS created the computer models using the following criteria: six to eight schools in a conference, geography (longitude and latitude), and no split conferences.
After carefully and thoroughly studying the created conferences, we realize there may some issues that must be addressed; therefore, an alternative draft will be developed by staff and distributed to the membership by December 9 th . The membership will then have two drafts to study and react to in preparation for the January Realignment Regional Meetings.
Thank you,
Davis Whitfield
Commissioner
919-240-7365
So what everybody is getting worried about is a computer-generated model that doesn't take into consideration variables such as excess travel, rivalries, history, etc. The December 9 model will incorporate the "human touch", and I'm sure will look a lot better!!
Conf. 1 is a Beast
Do all the schools in each conf. have all sports? For example, Independence has Lacrosse, Swimming, Tennis, Cross-Country. I don't think half the teams in this new "proposed" conference even fielded a cross-country team!
Anonymous@12:02PM - I don't know what your home state is, but most states setup conferences for schools based on attendance records. The idea is to build a balance conference with peers. However, some schools will bulk to this and will want to move to a conference more to their liking... which is why they sometimes have split level conferences at some places. In some cases, the models create a conference that streaches a 100 miles, happens a lot with the mountain schools and they might adjust before being finalized too. Wouldn't be surprised if Lake Norman moves out of its current location so it can avoid driving to Boone.
Anonymous@1:19PM - Quick answer, no. For example, some mountain schools have ski teams, which you will not find anywhere else in the state.
WashuOtaku - A Ski Team or a Rodeo Team is a fringe example. I'm talking about NCHSAA sanctioned sports. (Swimming, Cross-Country, etc.) Those sports who have regular conference meets, regional meets and state meets.
Interesting how caucasian conference number 1 just became after trading Rocky River, East Meck and Independence for Porter Ridge and Catholic.
Anonymous@1:28PM - Still no. Not every school can support every sport sanctioned by the NCHSAA. The school I went too didn't have swimming or lacrosse, but it was a 1A-2A school. A big 4A school in Charlotte is very likely to have all the sanctioned sports.
WashuOtaku - All the big 4A schools probably "offer" all sports, but for whatever reason certain schools never seem to fully participate. IF a school is moved from a conference having abundant participation and excellent competition to a conference where there is neither participation nor competition it will be unfortunate for the kids involved.
From Anonymous @12:27pm...
"I agree, local TV coverage for the new Conference 1 Network can be found on Time Warner Cable Channel 1049!"
Reply: Most of us do NOT have TWC and wouldn't bother with overpriced Cable. No, I mean that Conference 1 needs it's OWN Network-NOT in any way connected with that garbage Cable.
DirecTV, baby!
Anonymous@2:22PM - True, but if a school moves into a conference that doesn't offer many competitors for a certain sport, then they can simply add matches with non-conference schools. So there really is no issue.
From Anonymous at 1:44...
"Interesting how caucasian conference number 1 just became after trading Rocky River, East Meck and Independence for Porter Ridge and Catholic."
Reply: Yeah, like the Porter Ridge parents want to drive to Olympic and trek all across Mecklenburg County. Why do the natives, whether black or white, always focus on race? It's a skin color; get over it!
How can Lake Norman and Mooresville not be in the same conference? Lake Norman has be scratching their heads - makes no sense at all.
If Porter Ridge needs to come into the new Conf 1. then Independence should stay in that Conf. as well. Myers Park should be moved to Conf. 3 instead of Independence. Myers Park is actually closer to the schools in that conference. Lake Norman and Mooresville really need to be together too.
If Porter Ridge wants to be part of Charlotte, then maybe they should have to play in one of the less primo conferences for a while. Don't waltz in and expect to take the best seat in the house. Jus sayin.
I love the new set up! AL Brown moving up to play the big boys would be interesting. Down falls:
1)AL Brown Concord rivalry would diminish just a little bit
2) Lake Norman going to play teams in the mountains is CRAZY!!!
In looking at the statewide conference map, there seems to be some "Kings of the Hill" in certain conferences.
IE: Tarboro (who has won 1-2 2A State Championships in the past 6 years is now) is now 1A in a conference that is filled with mostly creampuffs. Greenville Rose is in the same situation.
I will say though, that the Richmond County vs 71st is/will be a doozy of some hard hitting.
Last time I checked, Kings Mountain was in Cleveland County.
The other Gaston County Schools would be Hunter Huss and the new Cramerton HS in a 2A conference with Chase, RS Central, E. Rutherford, Polk Co., and Shelby, while public schools Bessemer City, Cherryville, and Highland Tech are in a 1A conference with area charter or private schools.
@ PRickThames 3:02pm
You think trekking from Porter Ridge to Olympic is a long drive? When I was at Catholic, we had to drive at least 1 hour to get to any conference game; one school was 2.5hrs away! I don't think 45 minutes once of one game is going to hurt anyone.
Don't get me started about Catholic, no one cares how far you have to drive to play cause your a private school and have plenty of money to blow on gas
Are you telling me that Independence traveling to West Meck and West Charlotte saves travel costs. Independence will have to drop half their sports since none of the other teams in their conference can field a team for many of the sports. Good football and basketball, but the rest will suffer. Wish we had some of those Myers Park lawyers in Mint Hill, then they would quit jerking us around!
Porter Ridge gonna get their ass stomped to hell in 4a.
Better enjoy it while you can. They will be crying for 2a. One good year.
This will be awful for Independence "minor" sports. What a load of garbage.
Indy is in between Porter Ridge, and Butler. No way it should be uprooted to that conference. I agree, Myers Park is much closer to the other teams. Langston, you are the one that complains about late bb games on Tuesdays. Leaving West Meck at 10:30 to go back to Mint Hill will be crazy. Myers Park is not far from West, West Charlotte, etc. Indy and Mint Hill need to fight this!
Actually, with Mint Hill at Indy Indy is nearly as caucasian as South, Butler, Olympic and the others except Providence and AK. Indy is 40%, South 44%, Butler 50% Not sure about Olympic.
To Anon 5:44...
Hey Nimrod, Porter Ridge is already IN 4A! Oh, and the Pirates are playing for the 4A Championship on Saturday.
Who's ranked Number 1 in Charlotte? Porter Ridge!!
Yeah, you dkheads keep making the dumbest comments in the World, especially when Porter Ridge is the BEST in 2011.
Oh Wait, who is the ONLY team in the Charlotte Area NOT TO LOSE A GAME??? Porter Ridge
So, you doomazz naysayers can take your Chiquita bananas and shove up where the sun doesn't shine! The Pirates are playing Saturday Night!
We'll see the azz that gets stomped, LOSER! All I know is MY TEAM IS PLAYING! Your team is NOT!
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!
Go Pirates!
How is sending Indy to play west geographically better than Myers Park? Butler is closer to West than Rocky River or Indy. I think the human touch was already inserted in a very corrupt way.
Hey Porter Ridge.. big deal. your 4a conf. is a joke compared to the 4aa teams in SW4a.
I agree making Indy run back and forth to the west side of Charlotte is a joke. Especially since Myers Park and even South Meck are closer to that side of town. How about Olympic? I doubt this is completely the product of the SAS model.
I think you may need a special type of UnderArmor to play in that third conference. The kind with Kevlar if you know what I mean.
Wertz or whoever declared this as "Good for CMS" needs to have a check-up from the neck-up.
So Lake Norman would have to drive almost to Asheville to play TCRoberson and to Boone to play Watauga? W....T...F...? Sounds like a great plan.
Hey, anon 7:32...
You're invited to watch the Pirates play on Saturday Night in Winston-Salem. We're way past conference stuff this year, lassie.
Lord Knows, your school's not playing, so come cheer for a winner!
Go Pirates!!!
Slow clap... Remember Porter Ridge - it ain't just Football you have to compete in.
Let us put some more descriptive names to these conferences. This Conference 1,2, and 3 crap is boring. Conference 1 - "The all of Eric Davis' rich white friends conference". Conference 2- "The non-relevant conference". Conference 3 - "The Dr. Martin Luther King conference". Might as well tell it like it is instead of telling the poor dumb blacks that it is a shorter drive from EM, Indy, and RR to WM than it is from SM, or MP. A better way would be to align the schools by arrest records. That way Butler, Vance, and Garinger could play each other every week.......and they would definatly be conference #1!
So, will they issue bullet proof vests for the Conf. 3 events, or do you have to bring your own?
"Don't get me started about Catholic, no one cares how far you have to drive to play cause your a private school and have plenty of money to blow on gas"
Good one...
Haters gonna hate.
Something to think about the new mountain league. It takes over 2 hours to travel between Watauga or Roberson to Lake Norman. Sports that travel with JV and Varsity would have to leave the school by 1pm missing 2 blocks of classes. Another issue is the travel cost. A parent would pay between $30 - $40 to watch there kid play each away game. Better than that is one of the best cross town rivalries is between Lake Norman and Morresville wich is 5 miles apart will not play each other. Now in Lake Norman's new conference, the closest school is 65 miles away.
This totally does not make sense. Why is Porter Ridge paired up with Butler, etc. because of football? What about the other sports? There is no way baskteball, soccer or baseball can compete in the new group. Porter Ridge should be reclassified as 3A anyway,
I agree on the mountain conference. It stinks to be a 4A school in a corner of the state where next closest 4A school is over an hour away. In the past Watauga has had Crest and AC Reynolds in its conference too. Our kids get back home from athletic events after midnight on school nights, which doesn't help the studies. Oddly enough, it about 1 1/2 hours from Boone to Winston-Salem. It's a little closer than Lake Norman. About 30 less students and Watauga would be a 3A school and similar to other schools in the region.
However, Watauga, Alexander, South Caldwell, TC Roberson, & Lake Norman could a heck of a baseball conference. :)
I think Catholic really ought to be in the NCISAA anyway. Just one opinion.
I will second that opinion. Any team that does not have boundaries to pull players from and could offer "financial assistance"/ schlolarships to play should be in the NCISAA. Therefore making it a even playing field for public schools
"Anonymous said:This totally does not make sense. Why is Porter Ridge paired up with Butler, etc. because of football? What about the other sports? There is no way baskteball, soccer or baseball can compete in the new group. Porter Ridge should be reclassified as 3A anyway"
REPLY: Hey genius, you really don't know the first thing about Porter Ridge. BWAHAHAHAHA!! It's okay, the public transportation system you use doesn't come out this way.
I can tell you're a product of CMS; you don't know how to do your homework! Do you need a tutor?
Get on MaxPreps.com to look up info, W-L records, rankings of schools in various sports. Porter Ridge more than holds its own.
It seems more to me like either A) you're very scared of Porter Ridge and want to find any excuse possible NOT to have the Pirates in the conference, or B) you are upset you got left out of the Conference and are trying to find any excuse to knock Porter Ridge.
Either way, the Union County representative would be proud to be a part of the Conference. The Porter Ridge Pirates are a proud school and look forward to the challenge.
Olympic or Myers Park should be in Conference #3 if this is really about geography.
For some reason the assumption has been made that Porter Ridge should and that their Parent's want to become part of a Mecklenburg County athletic conference. Ridiciously this conference would not include Independence and Rocky River the two schools closest to us other than Butler. These Meck. schools have an average enrollment of 2330 kids while Porter Ridge enrollment is 1430. Marvin Ridge enrollment is 1366. Sun Valley 1350. Weddington 1330. As you can see we are much closer to those schools enrollment numbers than we are the Meck. schools. The Union County schools are our natural rival schools and I for one do not wish to be the only Union County school grouped into a Mecklenberg conference. A charlotte observer article stated that this is the wishes of the parents of this area. I do not agree and if you do not as well please let your wishes be known...................
Another note for the record,,,,,,,,,if they Porter Ridge and Sun Valley play together our combined schools would still have less kids in them (2780) than Myers Park (2833). Please let our administration and anyone else you know if you agree that we should remain in conference with Union County schools...........................
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