By Staff
As expected, the Dowagiac Board of Education Monday night voted to official apply to the Wolverine Conference and leave the Southwestern Athletic Conference.
The move needed to be made by Oct. 1 in order to meet the Wolverine Conference's deadline for application.
A decision by the league's Board of Governors, which consists of superintendents, will be made in November.
The earliest Dowagiac could begin competing for conference championships would be two years.
I was behind this move due to the fact that Dowagiac's enrollment is on the decline and it already is the smallest school in the Big 16.
Now I wish the board would have tabled it until September.
Why you ask?
The reason is simple. Dowagiac need to check out the whispers that Niles, Lakeshore and St. Joseph are also unhappy in the Big 16 and are looking to form a new league closer to home.
That league would include Dowagiac, as well as possibly Edwardsburg and Coloma.
It won't be long before the Eddies and Comets are asked to leave the Lakeland Conference because they are building successful sports programs and their school enrollments are growing.
Just like Lakeshore and Dowagiac before them, Coloma and Edwardsburg could become victims of their own success.
I was talking with Russ Bergemann after the school board meeting on Monday and he said that he could see us in a new conference five years down the road - possibly including Niles, Lakeshore and St. Joseph.
I expressed my concern that if Dowagiac keeps hopping from conference to conference, it would develop a reputation and no one would want them.
I understand the school board's concern about our current situation.
And, I am not one to believe half of what I hear. However, I also believe in checking out rumors to see if there is anything to them.
Niles resident, author and football fan supreme Bill Shoumake spoke from his heart at the meeting and hit upon one of the sticking points for me.
I do not want to see Dowagiac end its rivalry with the Niles Vikings, one that dates back to the 1890s.
I have always enjoyed the Lakeshore-Dowagiac rivalry, but would not mind nearly as losing Lakeshore as an opponent.
I have spoken to many Dowagiac fans since this "rumor" hit the streets back in the spring.
The Daily News ran a poll on its website and the results were the same.
While everyone understands that being in the Big 16 has its pros and cons, the Wolverine Conference is a better fit.
I wonder if they would change their minds if they knew we had a chance to get into a conference with Niles, Lakeshore and St. Joseph.
The school board made the correct decision with the information they have now. But should a chance arise to join those three schools as well as Edwardsburg and Coloma in a conference, Dowagiac should consider that as well.