School board wants to save Southwest Conference

By Joe Warren

Nevada Daily Mail

NEVADA, Mo. -- The Nevada R-5 school board discussed future conference options with NHS athletic director Kevin McKinley during a special meeting Thursday, with the idea of trying to save the Southwest Conference as the most popular choice.

The meeting, which was informative in nature with no formal action taken, was held so McKinley could present potential options to the board. Board members gave feedback as to what the school district would prefer with the potential conference landscape changes that are in the works.

Webb City is currently lobbying to leave the Southwest Conference and join the Central Ozark Conference for scheduling reasons, and has proposed that the two conferences attempt to merge.

The merger would potentially create a 16-team superconference, split into two divisions based on enrollment size. The proposal currently gaining the most play in area athletic circles has Nevada in the small division of the COC, with the other four SWC schools moving into the large division.

While that idea is not necessarily a best case scenario for all the schools in the SWC, McKinley said it could be the best option available to Nevada if other avenues don't come to fruition.

"I'm telling you, the best option is the COC small division because it aligns us with schools our size," McKinley told the board.

McKinley agreed that saving the Southwest Conference would be a better option, but he said it was unclear if that would be possible.

"Nobody knows what Carthage is going to do," McKinley said.

Carthage had previously committed to doing whatever Webb City does, in an effort to preserve the rivalry with a school only 10 miles away.

That stance has since softened, with the school taking more of a "let's look at this closer" approach.

If Webb City and Carthage both leave, the Southwest Conference would be down to only three schools, which would cause it to fold.

McKinley said if Carthage could be convinced to stay, it would be possible to maintain the SWC, but only if Carl Junction would be willing to take Webb City's place.

"I hope that the idea of welcoming Carl and wishing Webb well picks up steam," McKinley said.

The Southwest Conference has an athletic directors meeting scheduled today, where the schools' ADs and principals will further discuss the future of the conference.

If Carthage becomes set on leaving, the idea of finding a new conference for Nevada would come to the forefront.

Board member Dr. Warren Lovinger said the SWC should look into Joplin as a possible replacement for Webb City, in case Carl Junction couldn't be convinced to join.

"It seems like we've been competitive, and in many cases, successful when we've played Joplin in the past," Lovinger said.

Joplin, with an enrollment of more than 2,000 kids, is more than twice the size of Nevada (797).

The board expressed that if saving the SWC was not an option, than lobbying the Big 8 for an invitation would be the second best thing.

McKinley has long said the Big 8 would be the best fit, and Thursday he said that is still his opinion.

"The most traditional thing is for Nevada to go into the Big 8 Conference," McKinley said. "That is one we've beat to death since the Spring of (2005), and we haven't been able to get unanimous support."

All eight schools currently in the Big 8 would have to agree for Nevada (or any school) to join the league.

The board made clear to McKinley Thursday that the idea of joining the COC small division should only be the choice if the SWC and Big 8 are not possible.

McKinley was not officially empowered to make a decision on behalf of the district yet, as he told the board they should have until May 1 to decide.

The board also discussed the possibility of Nevada joining the West Central Conference or the Show-Me West Conference.

The WCC currently has Sedalia-Smith Cotton, Warrensburg, Clinton, Kansas City-O'Hara and St. Pius X. Harrisonville was also a member but they are leaving the WCC after this year.

The Show-Me West currently has Holden, Butler, Kansas City-St. Mary's, Sherwood and Lone Jack.

McKinley told the board he didn't think either the WCC or the Show-Me West would be as good of choices as the COC. By apparent consent, board members agreed but no formal vote was taken.