Sturgis offered invitation to join Wolverine Conference

Published 1:35 pm Sunday, August 4, 2013

Back in June, the Wolverine Conference Board of Governors voted to remain a 12-team league after Comstock announced it was leaving in 2014.

121206NewWolverinelogoThursday, the Wolverine Conference announced that Sturgis, a former member of the Southwest Michigan Athletic Conference (Big 16) would replace Comstock beginning with the 2014-15 school year.

The Trojans will play in the East Division along with Allegan, Plainwell, Otsego, Paw Paw and Vicksburg.

The West Division will remain the same with Dowagiac, Edwardsburg, Berrien Springs, Coloma, South Haven and Three Rivers.

The league voted 11-0 Thursday to extend an official invitation to Sturgis. The Wolverine Conference must now wait until the Sturgis Board of Education officially accepts the invitation.

“The Board of Governors is very excited to add Sturgis to the league and looks forward to beginning the relationship with them,” Gary Ellis, league secretary announced in a press release. “We know they have a quality program and will be a nice fit with the existing 11 schools. Their philosophy of the role of educational athletics is in line with the conference and they have similar athletic offerings as the current league schools.”

According to the statement, decisions about division alignment, as well as non-division competition will be determined at a later date.

Sturgis is one of four Big 16 schools that have decided to leave the league beginning next season.

Battle Creek Harper Creek, Coldwater and Marshall have announced that they will join a new league with several Jackson area schools and Battle Creek Pennfield.