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Red Wing to seek move from Big Nine to Hiawatha Valley League; acceptance depends on HBL vote
Summary
The board announced the district plans to leave the Big Nine Conference and seek admission to the Hiawatha Valley League (HBL) beginning next school year, pending acceptance by at least six of nine HBL member schools. Trustees said the move was intended to better align competition for athletics and fine arts.
Red Wing Public School District leaders told trustees Sept. 22 they have informed Big Nine officials that the district plans to leave that conference and apply for membership in the Hiawatha Valley League (HBL) beginning next school year.
The superintendent said HBL acceptance requires a two-thirds vote among HBL member schools (six of nine) and that preliminary conversations with HBL officials suggested verbal support. The move is intended to align regular-season competition with schools the district expects to face in postseason play and to shorten travel for many contests.
At the meeting a list of HBL schools was read from memory by a board member; the speaker prefaced the list by saying they were recalling names and that the list may not be exact. Trustees said conference membership will also affect nonathletic programs such as music and fine arts and that nonconference and postseason scheduling will continue to be managed as needed.
The board did not take a final vote on conference realignment at this meeting; members said the application and HBL acceptance schedule will determine next steps.
Provenance: The conference-change discussion is recorded in the administrative reports portion of the Sept. 22 transcript.
