Okaw Valley Conference

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The Okaw Valley Conference was a high school athletic conference in the Illinois High School Association (IHSA), based in Central Illinois. The conference consisted of medium-sized and small high schools. It merged with the Corn Belt Conference to form the Illini Prairie Conference in the 2017-18 school year.

Contents

History

The Okaw Valley Conference was formed in the early 1950s. It originally consisted of Arcola, Arthur, Atwood-Hammond, Bement, Cerro Gordo, Monticello, Newman, Oakland, Sullivan, Tuscola, and Villa Grove. Tolono Unity was added in 1958. In 1971, the smallest seven schools left to form the Little Okaw Valley, and three schools were added: Decatur St Teresa, St Joseph-Ogden, and Warrensburg-Latham. In 1976, Arcola left and Mahomet-Seymour replaced them. In 1982, Sullivan and Warrensburg-Latham left and Argenta-Oreana was added. Tuscola dropped out in 1983. The league folded after the 1984 season.

In 1990 Argenta-Oreana, Clinton, St Teresa, Monticello, Sullivan, and Warrensburg-Latham resurrected the conference, and in 1995, Meridian and Maroa-Forsyth were added. Central A&M joined in 1997, Shelbyville in 1999, and Tuscola and Unity in 2006. The conference was split into two divisions for football in 2006. The Black Division consisted of Clinton, Monticello, Shelbyville, St. Teresa, Sullivan, and Unity. The Blue Division consisted of Argenta-Oreana, Central A&M, Maroa-Forsyth, Meridian, Tuscola, and Warrensburg-Latham. Each team played the five schools from their division, and then four from the other division.

In 2012, 9 teams officially left the Okaw and started a new conference called the Central Illinois Conference (CIC). These schools were Argenta-Oreana, Clinton, St. T, Meridian, Central A&M, Sullivan, Shelbyville, Warrensburg-Latham, and Tuscola. Three teams were left out of the new conference. These teams were Monticello, Tolono, and Maroa-Forsyth. Before the actual forming of the CIC, Argenta-Oreana decided to join the Little Okaw Valley Conference. The Okaw Valley Conference continued with Monticello, Tolono-Unity, Champaign St. Thomas More, St. Joseph-Ogden, and Rantoul.

Maroa-Forsyth High School left the conference for the Sangamo Conference after the 2015-16 school year. [1] In April 2016, school boards of the remaining five schools and the school boards of the five schools in the Corn Belt Conference voted unanimously to merge into a new Illini Prairie Conference beginning in the 2017-18 school year. [2]

Final Members

InstitutionLocationMascotColorsAffiliation9–12 enrollmentSchool website
Monticello Monticello, Illinois SagesPurple and Gold

  

Public517 http://www.monticello.k12.il.us/mhs
Rantoul Rantoul, Illinois EaglesPurple and Gold

  

Public787 https://web.archive.org/web/20161030091654/http://www.rths.k12.il.us/
St. Joseph-Ogden St. Joseph, Illinois SpartansMaroon, White, Columbia Blue

   

Public486 http://www.sjo.k12.il.us
St. Thomas More Champaign, Illinois SabersHunter Green and Gold

  

Private279 / 460.35(multiplied) http://www.hs-stm.org/
Unity Tolono, Illinois RocketsMaroon and White

  

Public554 http://www.unityrockets.com/

Previous Members

InstitutionLocationMascotColorsAffiliationYear joinedYear leftCurrent Conference
Arcola Arcola, Illinois Purple RidersPurple and White

  

Public1950s1976 Lincoln Prairie
Argenta-Oreana Argenta, Illinois BombersOrange and Royal Blue

  

Public1982,

1990

1984,

2014

Lincoln Prairie
Arthur Arthur, Illinois KnightsRed and White

  

Public1950s1971Consolidated with Lovington in 2012
Atwood-Hammond Atwood, Illinois RajahsBlack and Gold

  

Public1950s1971Consolidated with Arthur-Lovington in 2014
Bement Bement, Illinois BulldogsPurple and White

  

Public1950s1971 Lincoln Prairie
Central A&M Moweaqua, Illinois RaidersBlack and Red

  

Public19972012 Central Illinois
Cerro Gordo Cerro Gordo, Illinois BroncosNavy and Orange

  

Public1950s1971 Lincoln Prairie
Clinton Clinton, Illinois MaroonsMaroon and Gold

  

Public19902012 Central Illinois
Mahomet-Seymour Mahomet, Illinois BulldogsOrange and Navy

  

Public19761984 Apollo
Maroa-Forsyth Maroa, Illinois TrojansRoyal Blue and Gold

  

Public19952016 Sangamo
Meridian Macon, Illinois HawksGreen and White

  

Public19952012 Central Illinois
Newman Newman, Illinois RedskinsRed and White

  

Public1950s1971Consolidated with Shiloh in 1994
Oakland Oakland, Illinois TitansPurple and Orange

  

Public1950s1971 Lincoln Prairie

(under Tri-County Co-op)

Shelbyville Shelbyville, Illinois RamsPurple and White

  

Public19992012 Central Illinois
St. Teresa Decatur, Illinois BulldogsRoyal Blue and Orange

  

Public1971,

1990

1984,

2012

Central Illinois
Sullivan Sullivan, Illinois RedskinsRed and Black

  

Public1950s,

1990

1982,

2012

Central Illinois
Tuscola Tuscola, Illinois WarriorsBlack and Gold

  

Public1950s,

2006

1983,

2012

Central Illinois
Villa Grove Villa Grove, Illinois Blue DevilsRoyal Blue and Gold

  

Public1950s1971 Lincoln Prairie
Warrensburg-Latham Warrensburg, Illinois CardinalsRed and Gold

  

Public1971,

1990

1982,

2012

Central Illinois

Sports

The conference offers the following sports:

Boys sports

Girls sports

Notable accomplishments

Successes

References

  1. Loveless, Matt (February 16, 2016). "Okaw Valley, Corn Belt Conferences Approve Plans for Future Merger". WAND. Frankly Media. Retrieved May 31, 2016.[ permanent dead link ]
  2. "Corn Belt Conference merger approved, Illini Prairie Conference created". Chillicothe Times-Bulletin. April 27, 2016. Retrieved May 31, 2016.