Lincoln Trail, Prairieland joining for 2023 season
By JEFF LAMPE
For The Prairie News
The Prairieland and Lincoln Trail conferences will merge for football only starting with the 2023 season.
Coaches and athletic directors have spent the past few months working on details of the merger, which will create a 17-team league split into large-school and small-school divisions based on IHSA enrollment figures.
Teams will play one inter-division game per season and large division squads will need to find one non-league game per season to fill their schedule.
Stark County will be part of the small-school division along with Princeville, ROWVA-Williamsfield, Annawan-Wethersfield, Rushville, Havana, Abingdon-Avon, South Fulton and Monmouth United.
Large schools are Elmwood-Brimfield, Farmington, Mercer County, West Hancock, Macomb, Lewistown-North Fulton, Illini West and Knoxville.
“There’s a recognition by both leagues that we needed this,” Farmington Athletic Director Jeff Otto said. “It adds stability. A lot of the coaches on both sides are happy with this.”
Stark County Coach Jade Noard said he is in favor of the merger if it accomplishes the goal of protecting smaller schools and reducing the jump to 8-man football by those programs.
Still to be determined is a name for the new league, all-conference selection processes and how officials will be assigned.
