(Council Bluffs, IA) — The dominos in athletic conferences continue to fall and the Hawkeye Ten is right now on the outside looking in. Last night in their school board meeting, Lewis Central voted to leave the H-10 and join the Missouri River Conference. LC could be a member of the MRC as soon as the 2026-27 school year but Athletic Director Jim Dermody says that has not been set yet. He does say that this is not a spur of a moment thing — they have been investigating it for awhile
Lewis Central is the biggest school in terms of enrollment in the Hawkeye Ten and Dermody feels that LC has simply outgrown the conference
Other schools in the Missouri River Conference include CBAL, CBTJ, Sioux City East, Sioux City North, Sioux City West, Bishop Heelan, Le Mars and Sergeant Bluff Luton. Lewis Central is now the 9th member in the MRC. Dermody says the interstate travel actually will be easier for the school than going by smaller highways to some of the other schools. He says a trip to Le Mars is about the same as going to Carroll. \
Dermody admits that Lewis Central’s decision came down to economics over tradition
The Missouri River Conference still needs to formally accept Lewis Central bid. The Hawkeye Ten is on the verge of losing two other members — Red Oak and Shenandoah are in the process of going to the Western Iowa Conference and that could be formalized on Thursday.
The Hawkeye Ten Conference does have invitations to Carroll and Treynor to joining the remaining members Atlantic, Clarinda, Creston, Denison Schleswig, Glenwood, Harlan, Kuemper Catholic, and St. Albert.
Complete Interview with Lewis Central AD Jim Dermody
