IVC Joins NCIC

Olson: NCIC is new Grey Ghost haunt

IVC to join league in 2006, Rochelle expected to leave

By HAROLD OLSON — The Times-Press

The changes just keep coming for the North Central Illinois Conference.

The latest change came at an NCIC meeting Wednesday afternoon when league members voted to accept Illinois Valley Central as a new member of the conference. Wednesday evening the IVC school board voted to leave the Mid-Illini Conference and join the NCIC.

The Chillicothe school will become part of the NCIC for the 2006-2007 school year. The Grey Ghosts will come into the NCIC as a member of the Southwest Division. That means Geneseo, prevsiously announced as switching to the Southwest Division in 2006-07, will remain in the Northeast Division.

As of now, Rochelle is still slated to switch from the Southwest to the Northeast in 2006-07. But, unhappy with that switch, the Hubs apparently will leave the NCIC for a new conference.

The NCIC had virtually no changes for four decades. But this school year has seen dramatic changes put in place.

In November, league officials voted to have Rochelle and Geneseo switch football divisions in 2006-07. The divisions are based on enrollment with the six bigger schools in the Northeast and the six smaller schools in the Southwest. Rochelle has grown larger than several schools in the Northeast, which was the reason for the switch.

The divisions have only been used for football and all 12 schools compete with one another in all other sports. Then in January, league members voted to have divisional play for all sports which have at least 10 competing schools, also to start in 2006-07.

“We knew the changes we made would be attractive to IVC and we are happy to have them in our league,” said Streator High School athletic director Kelly Kane. “The Southwest Division will be all Class-A schools and I think it will be a great division.”

Illinois Valley Central has been a member of the Mid-Illini since its inception in 1982. However, the other seven conference members are mostly growing Peoria suburban schools and are all in Class AA. Meanwhile, IVC is the only Class-A school in the conference. That was not likely to change since IVC has a stagnant enrollment figure. Other Mid-Illini schools are East Peoria, Washington, Morton, Metamora, Canton, Dunlap and Bartonville Limestone.

The Grey Ghosts will have longer road trips in the NCIC Southwest than in the Mid-Illini. But IVC officials and coaches are looking foward to being more competitive playing in a conference with similar-sized schools.

Kewanee officials have considered moving to the Olympic Conference. The addition of IVC and the creation of an all Class-A Southwest Division for play in all sports has left the Kewanee people happy to stay in the NCIC.

As of now, the Southwest Division for 2006-2007 includes Rock Falls (enrollment figure of 741), Chillicothe IVC (666), Mendota (635), Princeton (595), Kewanee (552), and Spring Valley Hall (423).

The Northeast Division for 2006-07 will include Class-AA schools, Ottawa (1,576), La Salle-Peru (1,240), Sterling (1,114), Dixon (984), Streator (979) and Geneseo (950). Rochelle (1,064) will be in the Northeast if it is still in the NCIC.

News Archive:

IVC Joins NCIC

Olson: NCIC is new Grey Ghost haunt