FRUITPORT, Mich. — A few months ago, seven current members of the OK Conference announced that they would be leaving at the end of the 2023-24 school year to start a conference of their own called the River Cities Alliance. It was a move that led the OK Conference to realign its athletic districts for the second time in a year.
And there may be even more changes coming to the OK Conference soon.
On Monday night, Fruitport Community Schools superintendent Jason Kennedy updated the school board about the district's application to join the West Michigan Conference. The move, Kennedy says, is part of an "exploratory" process.
"With some of the uncertainty around the realignment process that was taking place within the OK Conference this was done as a way really just to ensure that the options that may be available to the district were open to us," Kennedy told the board.
Kennedy told 13 ON YOUR SIDE that Fruitport has been transparent with the OK Conference about its exploration and that Fruitport remains committed to play in the OK Conference's Silver division during the 2024-25 school year.
Starting in the fall, the Silver will also consist of Belding, Comstock Park, Godwin Heights, Holland, Hopkins, and Kelloggsville for football. Calvin Christian and NorthPointe Christian will be part of the Silver for every sport aside from football.
Kennedy said the advantages in moving to the West Michigan Conference would include competitive balance and shorter travel times. He mentioned Oakridge and Orchard View, in particular, as matchups of interest since both schools are within a 20-minute drive of Fruitport. Fruitport would be the largest school in the conference if the move were to happen.
Fruitport's application to the West Michigan Conference was submitted in January.
"It's my understanding that a vote may take place somewhere around August on our application. At this time, the application is on hold while the West Michigan Conference works through an update to their bylaws and constitution," Kennedy told the board.
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