The New Lake Conference

[seek & destroy]

Big changes coming to the Lake Conference. According to the Star Tribune it sounds like 4 new teams (Edina/Minnetonka/Hopkins/Wayzata) are coming in and 2 (Chaska/Chanhassen) are leaving. The Lake already has Eden Prairie, Jefferson, Kennedy, Burnsville, Eagan, Apple Valley, Eastview, Rosemount, Lakeville N. & Lakeville S.. With the addition of these 4 teams it would have to be considered one of the toughest conferences in the State.

What will this mean to the current teams in the Lake and do you think it will impact section assignments in the future?

High school league grants four Classic Lake teams a home in the Lake
The Minnesota State High School League has placed Edina, Hopkins, Minnetonka and Wayzata into the Lake Conference, effective with the 2010-11 school year. Those four schools currently belong to the Classic Lake, which will dissolve at the end of 2009-10.

The Lake Conference will become a 12-team league this fall when the new Chanhassen High School opens. But Chanhassen and Chaska, sister schools in District 112, have applied for membership in the Missota Conference for 2010-11.

During a meeting last week with the MSHSL placement committee, Lake officials said they were willing to accept two Classic Lake schools as new members. All four Classic Lake schools had earlier applied for membership in the Lake as well as the Northwest Suburban Conference; both leagues denied those requests by all four schools. The Northwest Suburban has accepted Armstrong from the Classic Lake for membership in 2010-11.

[bonewellsux]

It will have to be considered one of the toughest conferences in the state? It is already the thoughest conference in the state without the new teams.

[hockeydad]

The other part of this story is the speculation that the seven Lake teams in Dakota County (Burnsville, AV, Eastview, Rosemount and the two Lakevilles) along with Farmington and Hastings are considering forming a new Dakota County Conference. That would leave just six teams in the Lake with Kennedy and perhaps Jefferson looking to get out

[hockeyjunkie2]

It's either the 2 Bloomingtons or Chaska and Chanhassen that are rumored to be wanting to switch into the Missota now as well. I can't remember which one it was at the moment.

[hockeydad]

Chaska and Chan have already applied to the Missota. If accepted, in 2010, The two schools would be right in the middle (4 and 5) of 9 teams enrollment-wise (Hutch is leaving the conference after this year.

Jefferson and Kennedy are "rumored" to be considering leaving the Lake if the Dakota schools bolt. A number of possibilities have been floated around.

[hockeyjunkie2]

http://www.startribune.com/sports/preps ... anchO7DiUr

Kinda a sob story for Eden Prairie but anyway here is the latest from the Lake. EP's Athletic Director/Football coach, Grant needs to get over himself a little bit.

[karl(east)]

This seems like a nice little mess. A 14-team conference sounds like a logistical nightmare.

Why do we even have or need conferences?

[Night Train]

Scheduling has to be the primary reason and then so kids can earn all conference patches for their letter jackets.