Branson To Leave COC, Join New Conference

Three weeks after a pair of Lakes Area schools announce a change of conference, another school will break away from their longtime conference home to join a new conference.

Branson High School announces via a press release that they will join Bolivar, Carl Junction, Logan-Rogersville, Marshfield, and West Plains in a new league, the Ozark Mountain Conference ending their current affiliation with the Central Ozark Conference at the end of the school year. 

The Ozark Mountain Conference brings together districts that are similar in enrollment numbers, as well as shared values and community beliefs according to the release. 

“The formation of the new Ozark Mountain Conference enables Branson Schools to strengthen our activity and athletic programs while improving our student-athletes,” says Dr. Brad Swofford, Superintendent of Branson Schools says in the release.

This announcement follows a month of activities that started when current Big 8 Members Hollister, Reeds Spring, and Springfield Catholic announced they were leaving that league for the Mid-Lakes Conference next year which includes Forsyth. 

The move will end several decades of association with the COC for Branson though it will reunite the Pirates with Bolivar, Marshfield, and Rogersville who were members of the old COC for many years. Carl Junction also makes the move from the COC while Bolivar and West Plains move over from the Ozark Conference with Marshfield and Rogersville moving over from the Big 8.

The new conference will also likely end some long standing match-ups, especially in football as the remaining schools in the COC and Ozark Conference are discussing a plan to cross schedule with each other to fill the open dates. For other sports, there are more open dates so some match-ups may remain on future schedules. 

Assuming no more conference shifting takes place, below is the conference alignment set to start with the 2024-25 School Year:

Ozark Mountain: Bolivar, Branson, Carl Junction, Logan-Rogersville, Marshfield, West Plains
Mid-Lakes: Fair Grove, Forsyth, Hollister, Reeds Spring, Skyline, Springfield Catholic, Strafford
COC: Carthage, Joplin, Neosho, Nixa, Ozark, Republic, Webb City, Willard
Ozark: Camdenton, Glendale, Hillcrest, Kickapoo, Lebanon, Parkview, Rolla, Waynesville 
Big 8: Aurora, Cassville, East Newton, Lamar, Mount Vernon, McDonald County, Monett, Nevada, Seneca