(Manning, IA) — One week ago, Audubon voted to leave the Western Iowa Conference and accept an invitation to join the Rolling Valley Conference and now IKM Manning has followed suit. On Monday’s regular school board meeting, the Wolves has accepted an invite to join the RVC. IKM Manning will also go in the 2026-27 school year the same as Audubon.
When Audubon and IKM Manning join the RVC, it will bring the membership up to 10 members joining Ar-We-Va, Boyer Valley, CAM, Coon Rapids Bayard, Exira EHK, Glidden Ralston, Paton Churdan and Woodbine. Paton Churdan does not participate in every sport. West Harrison is on the way out of the conference and will send its athletes to Missouri Valley starting in the fall of this year.
The conference only has 6 schools for softball this summer because CAM joined with Griswold and is competing in the Corner Conference while Exira EHK joined with Audubon and is competing in the WIC.
With Audubon and IKM Manning leaving the Western Iowa Conference, its membership is down to 7 members starting in 26-27: AHSTW, Logan Magnolia, Missouri Valley, Riverside, Treynor, Tri Center, and Underwood. The WIC has invited 10 schools to join its conference: AC/GC, Earlham Panorama, West Central Valley out of the West Central; Southwest Valley and Nodaway Valley out of the Pride of Iowa; MVAOCOU and Westwood out of the Western Valley; and Shenandoah and Red Oak out of the Hawkeye Ten. The WIC gave each school a deadline of August 1, 2025 to consider the invitation.
In addition, conference realignment in the western side of the state has gotten even more complicated with the Missouri River Conference reportedly inviting Denison Schleswig, Glenwood, Lewis Central and Harlan to leave the Hawkeye Ten Conference. The MRC is already at 8 members with Bishop Heelan, CBAL, CBTJ, Le Mars, Sergeant Bluff-Luton, Sioux City East, Sioux City North and Sioux City West. With the new membership, it could create two divisions and improve the travel for the Council Bluffs schools.
The Hawkeye Ten now has 6 of its 11 members considering invitations from other conferences and is planning on meeting this Wednesday to discuss future possibilities.
