Christian County is located in the southwestern part of the U.S. state of Missouri. As of the 2020 census, its population was 88,842. Its county seat is Ozark. The county was organized in 1859 and is named after Christian County, Kentucky, which in turn is named for William Christian, a Kentucky soldier of the American Revolutionary War.
Springfield is the third most populous city in the U.S. state of Missouri and the county seat of Greene County. The city's population was 169,176 at the 2020 census. It is the principal city of the Springfield metropolitan area, which had an estimated population of 487,061 in 2022 and includes the counties of Christian, Dallas, Greene, Polk, and Webster, The city sits on the Springfield Plateau of the Ozarks, which ranges from nearly-level to rolling hills. Springfield is the second-largest urban area in the Ozarks.
Missouri State University, formerly Southwest Missouri State University, is a public university in Springfield, Missouri. Founded in 1905 as the Fourth District Normal School, it is the state's second largest university by enrollment, with an enrollment of 23,418 in the fall semester of 2023. The school also operates a two-year campus in West Plains, Missouri offering associate degrees, which had an enrollment of 1,060 in the fall semester of 2023. A bachelor's degree in business is offered at Liaoning Normal University in China. The university also operates a fruit research station in Mountain Grove, Missouri and a Department of Defense and Strategic Studies program in Fairfax, Virginia.
Joplin High School is a public high school located in Joplin, Missouri, United States, founded in 1885. The school serves students in grades 9 through 12 and is the only traditional high school in the Joplin School District.
The Missouri State High School Activities Association (MSHSAA) is the governing body for high school activities throughout the state of Missouri. Approximately 580 high schools are members of MSHSAA.
Forsyth High School, or FHS, is a small rural high school located in Forsyth, Missouri, with an enrollment of about 411 students for the 2015-2016 school year.
Troy Buchanan High School is a 3-year public high school in Troy, Missouri, United States that is part of the Lincoln County School District. The school is named after local merchant Alexander Buchanan, who donated a $1,500 endowment and the land for Buchanan College to be built.
Fort Zumwalt South High School (FZS) is in the Fort Zumwalt School District in Saint Peters, Missouri, United States.
The Missouri State Bears and Lady Bears are the athletic teams representing Missouri State University. Missouri State's athletics programs date back to 1908. Missouri State competes in the NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision, but will start a transition to the Football Bowl Subdivision on July 1, 2024. The majority of sports play in the Division I Missouri Valley Conference. Missouri State football competes in the Missouri Valley Football Conference and the women's beach volleyball team, nicknamed Beach Bears instead of "Bears" or "Lady Bears", competes in Conference USA (CUSA), having moved from the Coastal Collegiate Sports Association after the spring 2023 season. Men's swimming & diving had competed in the Mid-American Conference through the 2023–24 season, but sponsorship of that sport is transferring from that conference to the MVC in July 2024. Missouri State will become a full member of CUSA on July 1, 2025.
Fort Zumwalt North High School, the first high school established in its Fort Zumwalt School District, is located in O'Fallon, Missouri. Established in 1960 as Fort Zumwalt High School, the school moved to its current location in 1976. "North" was added to the school's name when the district's second high school opened in 1987.
Greenwood Laboratory School is a comprehensive K-12 laboratory school affiliated with, and located on the campus of, Missouri State University in Springfield, Missouri, United States.
The Montana High School Association (MHSA) is the governing body of high school athletics in the state of Montana. It was founded in 1921 and today consists of 180+ member schools.
The Central Ozarks Conference is a high school athletic conference represented by 10 schools in the southwest portion of Missouri. All schools are in the Ozarks region of the state. The Central Ozark Conference offers championships for girls in Basketball, Cross Country, Golf, Soccer, Softball, Swimming & Diving, Tennis, Track & Field, Volleyball, and Wrestling. The Central Ozark Conference offers championships for boys Baseball, Basketball, Cross Country, Football, Golf, Soccer, Swimming & Diving, Tennis, Track & Field, and Wrestling.
The Big Eight Conference is an athletic conference comprising medium-size high schools located in the Ozarks of southwest Missouri. The conference members are based around the Joplin and Springfield areas and are located in the counties of Barry, Barton, Lawrence, McDonald, Newton, and Vernon.
The Southwest Central League (SWCL) is a high school athletic conference in southwest Missouri. The league is made of five members located in Barry, Stone, and Taney Counties. The SWCL offers men's championships in baseball, basketball, cross country, and golf. Women's championships sponsored are basketball, cross country, softball and volleyball. Member schools also sponsor sideline cheerleading, music competition, and scholar bowl. Junior high level offerings include boys' and girls' basketball, baseball, and volleyball. All member schools are members of Missouri State High School Activities Association.
Crane High School, home of the Pirates, is a public high school located on Missouri Route 413 in Crane, Missouri. Crane High School is a part of MSHSAA which acts as the governing body for high school activities throughout the state of Missouri. They are a founding member of the activities conference, Greater Ozarks Conference.
Logan-Rogersville High School (LRHS) is a public high school for grades 9–12 located in Rogersville, Missouri as part of the Logan-Rogersville R-VIII School District. The National Center for Education Statistics classifies LRHS as a "rural fringe" locale, which is defined as a rural area that is less than or equal to 5 miles from an urban area. The mascot of LRHS is the wildcat with the colors of maroon and white.
The Western Missouri Conference, or WEMO, is a high school athletic conference comprising small-size high schools located in central western Missouri. The conference members are located in Barton, Bates, Cass, Jasper, and St. Clair counties.
The Greater Ozarks Conference is a high school activities conference represented by seven private and public schools in the southwest portion of Missouri.
