Conference shuffling dictated by football is not just a metro area concern.
Duluth Central/Denfeld, Duluth East and Grand Rapids, members of the dissolving North Country Conference, have all had their applications to join new conferences rejected. The Duluth schools applied to the Central Lakes, Mississippi 8 and Sea Range conferences while Grand Rapids applied to the Central Lakes and Sea Range conferences. All three schools are applying for varsity football only. Duluth Central/Denfeld wants to start with a new conference for the 2011 season while Duluth East and Grand Rapids hope to become full-time members of a new conference in 2012.
Since the conference rejected the schools' applications, the Minnesota State High School League must now make a recommendation for placement. Representatives from the three conferences and schools met Wednesday at the MSHSL headquarters to discuss the positives and negatives of potential placements.
MSHSL executive director Dave Stead said the placement committee will consider the information and make a recommendation for placement next week. The conferences and schools can weigh the MSHSL's recommendation and have the option to appeal.
