Introducing ... the Daily Herald Conference
With West Chicago appearing determined to leave the DuPage Valley Conference and end its long relationship with the eight-school league, a major conference shakeup could follow throughout the county.
Where the Wildcats wind up and when is unclear right now, but the rumors are swirling and the possibilities seem endless.
The trickle-down effect could be extreme. The Upstate Eight Conference, the Western Sun, the West Suburban -- even the remaining members of the DVC may enter a time of transition.
Expansion has come to the Interstate Eight Conference, and looming expansion in the Suburban Catholic likely would impact the East Suburban Catholic and the Private School League. The four-school Metro Suburban, meanwhile, has been actively seeking to expand since its debut last year.
So much uncertainty.
Well, we're here to help sort it all out.
The Daily Herald is unveiling its vision for the future. It's a serious attempt with a tinge of humor that finds a new -- and perhaps better -- conference home for every high school in the county. We've even included Metea Valley, a third District 204 school that will join Neuqua and Waubonsie Valley in the next few years.
As much as possible, we've taken into account geography, enrollment, competition level and rivalries while keeping district schools together.
It may not be perfect, but we think it's a pretty good place to start.
Ladies and gentlemen, we're proud to present The Daily Herald Conference.
The Compass Division
Glenbard North
Glenbard South
Glenbard East
Glenbard West
Addison Trail
Willowbrook
Wheaton North
WW South
Comment: Named for representing north, south, east and west, this division unites the four District 87 Glenbard schools, including Glenbard South, which left the DuPage Valley Conference to join schools of similar size, and Glenbard West, a longtime West Suburban Conference competitor. Bolstering the Glenbards are District 88 rivals Addison Trail and Willowbrook, and District 200 rivals Wheaton North and Wheaton Warrenville South.
The Platinum Division
Downers North
Downers South
Hinsdale Central
Hinsdale South
Lyons Twp.
York
Oak Park
Leyden
Comment: Combining key elements of the West Suburban Conference's Gold and Silver divisions, we form the Platinum Division. In the current version of the WSC, the Downers and Hinsdale schools are separated in different divisions. Here we combine them as part of one eight-team grouping. Adding Lyons Twp., York, Oak Park and Leyden presents many opportunities to continue existing rivalries in several sports.
Private School East Division
Driscoll
Immaculate Conception
Montini
Nazareth
Timothy Christian
St. Joseph
Walther Lutheran
Guerin
Private School West Division
Benet
Wheaton Academy
St. Francis
Aurora Christian
Aurora Central
Marmion/Rosary
St. Edward
Marian Central
Comment: We can't sort out all of the inevitable change coming to regional private school conferences, but we give it a shot with these two divisions. Benet renews rivalries from its days in the West Suburban Catholic, especially with St. Francis. The current version of the Suburban Catholic is all here, including brother/sister schools Marmion and Rosary. Enrollment issues remain, but competition could still thrive.
O'Hare Division
Fenton
Elmwood Park
Ridgewood
Riverside-Brookfield
Proviso East
Proviso West
Morton
Lemont
Comment: Fenton finds solid footing in a division taking its name from the landmark dominating the landscape. The North Suburban and Suburban Prairie featured wicked road trips from Bensenville, and the current four-school Metro Suburban is clearly weakened by its small size. Even though enrollments don't fully match up here, competitiveness is fairly even in many sports. Fenton maintains its burgeoning rivalry with Riverside-Brookfield.
Rt. 59 Division
Elgin
Larkin
Streamwood
Bartlett
South Elgin
West Aurora
East Aurora
West Chicago
Comment: Bus traffic will increase dramatically on this busy road, but many goals are met in this division, starting with West Chicago's desire to find a better competitive fit than the DuPage Valley. The five District U-46 schools remain together, and East and West Aurora are united in a mini-Upstate Eight reformation. West Aurora's 100-year-old football rivalries with East Aurora and Elgin gain new significance as conference showdowns.
The All-Terrain Division
Naperville Central
Naperville North
Neuqua Valley
Waubonsie Valley
Metea Valley
Lake Park
St. Charles East
St. Charles North
Comment: Whether on Lakes, across Valleys or in Villes, this division has it all. Imagine the rivalry possibilities with Naperville North and Naperville Central alongside Waubonsie, Neuqua and eventually-to-be-built Metea Valley. Upstate Eight Conference and nonconference rivalries already exist with the St. Charles schools. And fellow UEC member Lake Park, long rumored to become a part of the DuPage Valley, adds a perfect complement.
The Rest Stop Division
Lisle
Westmont
Plano
Sandwich
Coal City
Reed-Custer
Dwight
Wilmington
Comment: Unfortunately, there aren't many options for Lisle because of an enrollment that's uniquely small for an area public school. This is basically a slimmed-down version of the current Interstate Eight Conference, which has expanded in the last couple of years. So that means the long road trips will remain for the Lions. They'll still have nearby Westmont, though, which was an ideal choice for the IEC when it expanded.
Your turn
Do you have your own ideas for how area conferences should look? Do you think we're out to lunch with our picks? Let us know what you think. E-mail us at prepsports@dailyherald.com.
Current DuPage County athletic conferences
1. DuPage Valley
2. East Suburban Catholic
3. Interstate Eight
4. Metro Suburban
5. Private School League
6. Upstate Eight
7. West Suburban Gold
8. West Suburban Silver
9. Western Sun
Is change coming?