View attachment 64928
Here are the locations of the 12 largest private high schools (based on enrollment in grades 9-12 only). the two dots in DSM are Dowling and Des Moines Christian. Other than DSM Christian all are Catholic schools. One of those schools plays in the highest league and another plays way down.
For those of you advocating a separate private school conference, do you A) think this geography spread is beneficial for 14-18 year old kids to play sports? or B) think a huge conference made up of schools ranging from 1,440 students (Dowling) to 187 students (newman in Mason City) is a competitive conference? Dowling has twice as many kids as the next largest private high school in the entire state. Don't you think it's better for those kids to play other schools of similar demographics, like Waukee, Ankeny, or Valley?
I can't imagine anyone thinking Wahlert in Dubuque playing St Albert in Council Bluffs is a good thing, or Heelan in Sioux City traveling to Assumption in Davenport for a Tuesday night basketball game is a good use of teenager's time.