The Merrill Bluejays got initial approval to move non-football conferences along with some changes in the Cloverbelt West and South Central Conferences from the WIAA Non-Football Conference Realignment Committee.
The Merrill Bluejays would be moving to the Great Northern Conference. Merrill had been a founding member of the GNC in 2008 but returned to the Wisconsin Valley Conference in 2010. Merrill is currently a member of the GNC for football. Merrill would join Mosinee, Medford, Antigo, Rhinelander, Tomahawk, Lakeland, and Northland Pines.
The Cloverbelt West would get a new look, as Osseo-Fairchild would move out of the conference to the Dairyland, and Elk Mound would move in from the Dunn-St. Croix. The Cloverbelt West would include Bloomer, McDonell Central, Regis, Elk Mound, Thorp, Cadott, Fall Creek, and Stanley-Boyd in the new plan. The Dunn St. Croix would consist of Boyceville, Colfax, Durand-Arakansaw, Glenwood City, Mondovi, Plum City/Elmwood, and Spring Valley. The Dairyland would consist of Agusta, Blair-Taylor, Eleva-Strum, Melrose-Mindoro, Whitehall, Alma/Pepin, Alma Center Lincoln, Cochrane-Fountain City, Eau Claire Immanuel Lutheran, Gilmanton, and Independence. (The Dairyland is usually split into two divisions)
The third local change would shake up the South Central Conference, which would see the addition of Ripon from the East Central, and the loss of Waupun to the Capitol conference. The new South Central would be Adams-Friendship, Mauston, Nekoosa, Ripon, Westfield, and Wisconsin Dells.
The next step is for an opportunity for appeals before the plans go to the WIAA Board of Control for final approval.
