Nevada High School conference affiliation history

With the recent revelation that Nevada will become a member of the West Central Conference, here's a look at the Nevada R-5 School District's conference affiliation history.

1920 The Southwest Missouri Inter-High League -- renamed later the Southwest Activities Association -- is formed which included 10 schools in the upper division:

* Aurora

* Carthage

* Joplin

* Lamar

* Monett

* Mount Vernon

* Neosho

* Nevada

* Springfield

* Webb City

Dec. 11, 1929: Joplin and Springfield are voted out, forming the original Big 8 Conference.

1952-53 (c.): Cassville is admitted to form the Big 9 Conference.

1962-63 (c.): Carl Junction is admitted to form the Big 10 Conference.

Big 10 Conference, 1963-1976:

* Aurora

* Carthage

* Carl Junction

* Cassville

* Lamar

* Monett

* Mount Vernon

* Neosho

* Nevada

* Webb City

*1975 was the final year of the Big 10 Conference.

1976: Conference expands into the Big 13, adding East Newton, McDonald County and Seneca.

* Football would be split into divisional play.

* Basketball would be a round robin format.

* Football divisions were originally drawn on AAA vs. AA status.

The two divisions were as follows:

Big 13 Division 1: Carl Junction, Carthage, McDonald County, Neosho, Nevada and Webb City.

Big 13 Division 2: Aurora, Cassville, East Newton, Lamar, Monett, Mount Vernon and Seneca.

1979: Webb City leaves the conference for two years (1979-'81) thus forming the Big 12 Conference.

Last Gasp of the Big 13

1981-'82: Webb City is readmitted and the conference splits into East and West divisions for basketball with no more round robin play, but home/away format in each division.

*This would be the final year of the Big 13.

1982-83: Big 6 and Big 8 are formed independently.

Big 8 Conference:

* Aurora

* Carl Junction

* Cassville

* East Newton

* Lamar

* Monett

* Mount Vernon

* Seneca

Big 6 Conference:

* Carthage

* Joplin Memorial

* McDonald County

* Neosho

* Nevada

* Webb City

The Southwest Conference: 1985-2008

1985-'86: Joplin Memorial combines with Joplin Parkwood to form Joplin High School and thus, the Big 6 becomes the Southwest Conference.

* Carthage

* McDonald County

* Neosho

* Nevada

* Webb City

*2007-2008 was the last year for the Southwest Athletic Conference, due in large part to Webb City's difficulty in finding football games to schedule.

Relevant Timeline

* Feb. 21, 2007: Talk emerges of SWC and COC merger, meetings are held at Willard High school involving all members of the COC and SWC.

* July 2007: Carthage and Webb City move to COC, Neosho soon to follow, but an invitation to McDonald County and Nevada to join the COC was not extended.

* September 2007: Nevada explores admission into the COC, West Central Conference and Show-Me West Conferences and is denied admission by all three.

* Oct. 3, 2007: Nevada invites superintendents, principals and athletic directors from Buffalo, Butler, El Dorado Springs, Lamar and Warsaw to discuss creation of a new athletic conference, but the new conference fails to materialize.

* Oct. 16, 2007: MSHSAA appeal letter for placement from Dr. Noah.

* November 2007: First denial of Big 8 to McDonald County and Nevada.

* December 2007: First MSHSAA appeal appearance by officials of Nevada and McDonald County School Districts.

* January 2008: MSHSAA officials meet with superintendents of the Big 8 Conference.

* February 2008: MSHSAA officials meet with superintendents of the COC.

* May 2008: Southwest conference officially disbands.

* Aug. 31, 2009: Nevada's second denial for admission by the Big 8 Conference.

* Nov. 23, 2009: Officials from Nevada, McDonald County, Springfield Central and Carl Junction meet, Neosho and Carthage reject attendance.

* Sept. 3, 2010: McDonald County invites Nevada, Carl Junction, Carthage, Joplin, Neosho and Webb City to explore a new conference through a meeting in late September, but the idea is rejected by schools with conference affiliation already.

* Nov. 9, 2010: Third rejection for Big 8 membership to Nevada and McDonald County.

* Dec. 11, 2012: McDonald County joins the Big 8 Conference, beginning in the 2014-'15 school year.

* Feb. 19, 2013: Nevada is notified that it will be competing in the West Central Conference, beginning in 2014-'15.

Past options explored:

1. 2007: Central Ozarks Conference and Southwest Conference merger.

2. 2007: West Central Conference.

3. 2007: Show-Me West Conference.

4. Rejected four times by the Big 8 Conference: November 2007, August 2009, November 2010 and March 2012.

5. May 2011: MRVC.