The addition of Pike and Lawrence Central high schools to the Metropolitan Interscholastic Conference last week may have just been the beginning in high school conference realignment.
According to Fishers principal Jason Urban, a group of principals and other representatives from large, Indianapolis-area high schools met Saturday to discuss the possibility of forging a new conference. Seven Hoosier Crossroads schools (Avon, Brownsburg, Fishers, Hamilton Southeastern, Noblesville, Westfield and Zionsville) and all eight members of the new MIC (Ben Davis, Carmel, Center Grove, Lawrence Central, Lawrence North, North Central, Pike and Warren Central), along with some high schools outside of those leagues attended the meeting.
According to Urban, the meeting's purpose was to gauge interest and discuss the perceived advantages and challenges of establishing a new conference from current conferences. Schools have not made any decisions at this point, but have agreed to further explore the proposal by seeking input from their schools and communities.
Pike and Lawrence Central were accepted last week as new members to the MIC beginning in 2014-15, replacing Terre Haute North and Terre Haute South. Pike and Lawrence Central had been members of Conference Indiana. Whiteland and Franklin of the Mid-State Conference are expected to be contacted by Conference Indiana as possible replacements.
Officials from the MIC reached out to a number of area schools this summer, inquiring about the possibility of joining. Many of those schools were suburban schools from the HCC. The HCC issued a statement of solidarity last month, but did not close the door discussing further realignment.
