The official vote is next week but its a done deal.

There will be 2 divisions of 5 teams.

Bigger Division:
Watkins
Licking Valley
Licking Heights
Lakewood
Granville

Smaller Division:
NC
Heath
Utica
Johnstown
Northridge

OK I bite what source did you hear this from???

who exactly would be voting on this? If they were forming a league they'd be forming a league and it would have no reason to vote... lol

obviously this wouldn't happen within the MSL as they'd have have all the other division worked out and
1) that couldn't happen this fast - since it's never even been talked about at a MSL meeting
2) there's no logical landing spot for the Franklin county 3 let alone the other Cardinal schools...

so... don't get your hopes up Thad!

I'm not getting my hopes up its a done deal trust me!

what's a done deal?

who's "voting"?

Glad to see Chip Brown has found LCSports.com

Chip Brown was right; not sure about Thad yet but I'm checking around. I know certain Big Ten fans didn't want to believe it, but the Pac-16 nearly happened last month. Don't believe me? Pull up Pac-10 (12) Commissioner Larry Scott's interviews with East Coast media earlier this week. In an ESPN broadcast, he states that the expansion was set to go up to the final 12 hours before the Big 12 announced it had worked out a verbal agreement with TV contracts. Chip Brown's reporting throughout was spot on and news sources like ESPN and local papers played catch-up throughout — including ESPN's Schad reporting the Pac expansion deal was done as Brown reported the same morning that the Big 12 was being saved as the divorce was about to happen.

So, if Thad is Chip Brown then I wouldn't discount it. Question is: Is he?

This is were my sarcastic past precedes me.

I was making the Chip Brown reference only in being the first to go on record with insight, nothing more or less.

Wasn't trying to villify or say thad is right or wrong, just he is the first to go on record.

I know full well what occurred on the collegiate level. I was keeping a close eye as it would drastically change the college baseball world. Besides you can't group me in with Big Ten fans, you know this Gville.

Oh I know a Pac fan when I read one, cwebb. It wasn't directed at you; only trying to clear up how it could have been misread by some who know no better.

Did you see today's story that A&M is insisting it get its $20 mil or it will jump to the SEC? That league is doomed and it won't be long before we're again debating where UT, Tech, OU and OSU land. Scott said he's not pursuing anything anytime soon but still expects super conferences down the road.

Oh, and Bob Stoops said in the Big 12 media tour the other day that he was looking forward to West Coast trips and was a bit disappointed the deal fell apart! Probably wanted to pound on his brother at UofA!

Well my problem with Chip Brown was he was reporting as done... something not done
yea it was CLOSE to being done but that's not what he was reporting...
BIG difference

The problem with THIS prediction is that it would be a complete 180 from what was talked about at the last league meeting... would leave a bunch of schools unhappy... VERY unhappy... and be a "cart before horse" thing on schools being offered spots that haven't expressed interest
(Watkins SB voted to look at it... not do it... the MBC schools haven't even gone that far!)

so... someday something like this MIGHT happen...
but not any time soon as you'd first have either an invitation to the 4 outside schools... followed by board approval or not... then another league meeting to vote on the final set up (if they all agreed)

so MY point was there won't be an MSL vote on this type of thing (and it would fail BTW - histroy tells us the Buckeye Schools would abstain... Bexley, Whitehall and CA would vote no... can't imagine the Cardinal schools going along unless there is a whole lot more to it... and that's on top of the fact that LH, U, N and J all have said NO recently! AND while something like 15 non MSL schools had people at the last meeting... none of the MBC teams (or Watkins) did.

So it would be the MSL meeting... coming up with ideas... INVITING schools to talk to them...
then the next meeting ignoring all that and doing something completely different!

ANd...
as I pointed out if it were all these schools LEAVING the MSL, OCC and MBC... that would have taken school board votes... which haven't happened and frankly wouldn't pass!

Side thought: Could of just the AD or Administration of the Licking County schools have met in secret to discuss all of this, and not told anyone of there plans or thoughts until a final unified deal was made so the public and of course the current leagues wouldn't get involved especially if it would end up being a no go to save face.


I would be amazed if Thad was right, but stranger things has happened like Nebraska coming to the Big Ten. Guess we will have to see

are you suggesting a new league outside the MSL...

sure they could have met in secret

but they'd still have to go to their school boards and ask for approval...

so they could come out and say "hey we ADs have a nice plan...maybe our boards will approve it!?"

Cwebb, you've got mail.

As far as the MSL is concerned, I've heard (and some others on here have already posted it as well on the other threads) there have been discussions of changing the Buckeye and Ohio divisions and some Buckeye schools are more receptive to it this go-around. Supposedly, the league was attempting to set up, as rumored, a Licking County division.

However, increasingly, I can see why a two-division LCL (listed by thadmatta above) might make more sense to county schools. That would take away the size differential problem, reduce costs (particularly travel), increase revenue by rebuilding excitement and local rivalries that counted in the league standings and provide a good number of potential cross-over opponents to help fill out schedules. There has to be a good reason why the SW Licking School Board would make the pubic resolution it did. No school board would do that unless talks were already progressing toward something and that school board wanted to signal to other local schools that it is serious about a league change. It has nothing to gain by the other county schools using the threat of a revamped LCL for leverage within the MSL. Also, LV's new AD sounded in the Advocate stories like he could be on board with a new LCL or increased scheduling of Watkins, at a minimum. So, this may not be as far-fetched as many of us thought.

no I'm certainly not saying that type of thing can not happen or won't happen eventually

In theory there are things you can do with the others... to get things done... but there are still going to be teams not happy (Liberty Union is a great example)...

AND the lynch pin is still the MBC schools who have no reason to do it

I have no doubt a couple ADs might have come up with something like this... but there are a whole lot of other issues around it they haven't even begun to discuss as a LEAGUE

so yea... this might even be proposed as something to look into (talking to the various schools)

but much like the Super PAC 16... it's not a done deal because even if there is interest and it's going to be proposed... there still a LOT of hoops that have to be passed...
they certainly aren't at a position it is "a done deal"... I know that for a fact! (Talked to one MSL cardinal AD yesterday evening who said they'd never heard of that idea)

But GvilleFan is right though. This would be a deal that would be hard to pass up on if your looking at it from the MBC. When was the last time Johnstown made it to the playoffs in the MBC, and was it because of the league or the non league opponents. With this scenario, there is points to be earned to get to the playoffs within these divisions. Plus they could still reach out for non league opponents to help with additional points where it comes to football.

Then if you look at the other major sports like soccer, volleyball, wrestling, basketball, baseball, softball, and track. This setup would be pretty stacked depending on the division you are in again. And with closer schools, the ticket revenue should go up as well in these sports

And speaking from what I have seen at Heath and Licking Valley soccer games, I have always noticed an increase in spectators when it is a team from within the county vs teams outside the county.

Heath/LV and teams in the county... that's because they are in the middle of the county

a school like Utica isn't



ahhh... 2008... likly wasn't because of their non-league since they lost to Granville and Heath that year starting 0-2

before that it was all the way back in... ahhh 2007... when they also were 1-2 non-league (losing to Granville and LH and beating Heath)

let's see... before that? 2006... lol... they lost to heath but beat Granville and LH

2005 they went 3-0 non-league... but missed the post season (7-3 overall)

2004 they went 3-0 non-league... but missed the post season (8-2)

2002 they made the post season


anyway... J-town has made it 4 times in their history - all in the last 8 years

Northridge has made it 4 times in their history - all in the last 11 years

Utica 3 times... 1991 (first year after the LCL) and 99 and 2000

MBC isn't holding these teams back!

I also pointed out before...
LESS travel for Utica in the MBC than in the LCL... J-town and Northridge are very close in total travel

Buckeyedan,

I have to be wondering why do you hate this idea of having a LCL. Every time someone brings up a positive for the move to restart the league or realign the Ohio to form a partial LCL, you come back with only negatives concerning this topic. Take rivalry's out of the equations, because new ones can always be formed on a yearly basis. Take out making other teams or leagues mad, because in the end it your schools budget not the other schools. Even take out computer points and rankings, because if you schedule right out side of the conference you can still make it. And think of whats best for the Licking Co schools when it comes to money revenue, because every school in Licking Co is struggling with the economy one way or another. There will be less gas used to get to over half of the games on the schedule. More revenue at the gates and concessions for ALL of the sports because more people here in Licking Co. are willing to travel local then to Columbus or outside the county. And being yourself from this area does know that. So in these times that all of the schools are forced into seeking ways to make money and help the budget, this is the best option.

I don't know if I like the 5-5 division format.

If teams are willing to move such as NC and Heath, why not add Millersport and make it small school 6 and among other questions. If travel is an issue, would that not make more sense then any of the MBC schools for Heath and NC? Especially when you're already taking a school from the MSL-C. I understand why the LCL thought has the cache it does. Just wonder if staying within a strick boundary as a county line is ideal.

The rest of what has been mentioned is to me subjective. You could argue for less travel, but couldn't a have 5 team divison force more travel to find three additional non-league opponents? (Well I would guess it would be 2 two as a crossover should be mandated as forcing teams to find opponents weeks 6-10 outside of league is ridiculous). I'm sure Gville could bring up travel time for the MBC schools, and such.

I don’t “hate it”. I might be fun. I’m looking at it from a long term “what’s good for the various schools” perspective. Not a “what’s fun for football.

It’s a counter point. I disagree with the points.

From a specific point this goes back to the “cut athletic funding” blackmail of the school funding mess. Worrying about gas money for a couple bus trips or even getting an extra thousand dollars in gate receipts when you are hemoraging money in the other 99% of the budget is just crazy. It also assumes facts not in evidence which I’ll get to in my next post.

What do you base this on? For Licking Valley? Sure. Obviously the schools that are in the middle of Licking County will benefit from not leaving Licking County. Utica. The 7 non-MBC schools in the proposal average 20.71 miles from Utica. The 5 MBC schools not in the LCL proposal average 22.50. (And actually take out Loudonville and it’s less (19.03). THAT is what I keep getting at. It’s good for the current MSL teams. In theory Watkins. It is 100% NOT better for the MBC teams. They save an average of a mile and a half a trip… but have to face schools three times their size? They leave a very stable league for one that’s the very definition of unstable? How’s that going to work out for the better?

Again, for LV or Heath or NC. For the MBC teams? The concept that people are willing to 27 miles from Utica to Licking Heights but not 20 Miles from Utica to East Knox because it’s in a different county is not something I buy.


The thing we keep forgetting about the LCL days is that most of the small schools simply didn’t win! How many winning seasons did Johnstown have in the 1980s? Heath? Licking Heights before they left? Heck Granville!?
Then in the early 1980s Licking Heights who was the very definition of losing in the LCL (setting consecutive loss records!) Within a couple years they were challenging for league titles. Then Northridge, who was losing year after year after year, follows a couple years later success follows them. Heath and Granville, perennial also-rans in the LCL, head to the MSL and schools their size at the time and start winning. Utica heads to the BAC and eventually the MBC and has a whole lot of winning seasons.
See a trend? The small, public schools of the LCL got beat. Year after year after year they lost. Once in a generation they hoped to challenge for a league title… if that. Then they leave for leagues more their size and they start winning. They build decent programs for the most part. Then somebody suggest the LCL reforms and they are supposed to jump at it and forget why they left? Utica, Northridge, Johnstown challenge for the playoffs often. They have lots of winning seasons since leaving. Let’s give all that up to save a mile a trip! That’s crazy. As for Money? Tell me you think Licking Heights was drawing big crowds back when they were losing 50 games in a row? Tell me Heath/Granville games had big crowds when both teams hadn’t been over .500 in a decade? So bring back the days of “hope for 5-5” because you are playing teams so much bigger? No thank. It isn’t going to help with money that way.

Is there a 'Like' button on here somewhere? Because I like just about everything buckeyedan just said.

If the two division format is indeed correct, the MBC schools would not necessarily have to play the big Watkins and Licking Heights -- although I doubt either Johnstown or Utica would pass on playing Heights. Their "league" games might only consist of the games against the similar-sized schools in their own division. However, they could add other non-league games against schools from the other division to fill out their schedules. For instance, Utica could also plays Heights, Granville and Lakewood and fill in the remaining three games from outside the county -- Danville, East Knox, whoever. That's why this two-division idea has me rethinking whether or not this might happen -- it addresses the size disparity with league title opportunities among similar-sized schools.

Now, as far as whether playing county opponents matter more than playing other non-county schools in the MBC, I think you would hard pressed to argue against (no matter the result) it would certainly generate more interest and revenue for school sports budgets that are under assault. No one is stating it solves districts' budgetary problems -- that's just a red herring on your part -- but every bit helps when you can't raise revenue through property tax increases and the state pulls back on its support during economic hard times. What it would help to do is increasingly fund sports activities within the school districts because of greater attendance. The Utica and Johnstown football games for Granville (whether home or away) generate A LOT more money than does any appearance by the Franklin County schools from the MSL-Ohio or Fairfield Union will do this year. Plus, your comparison of East Knox to LH is laughable -- LH has much larger crowds than EK could bring to, say, Utica. Back when it was smaller in the old MSL-Cardinal days with Heath and Granville, crowds from LH certainly heavily attended games with us in all sports. So, comparable distances between the two sets of schools would not be the only factor behind the MBC schools wanting to make a change like this.

By separating out county schools by size and promoting cross-over games with somewhat similar-sized opponents from the other division, you largely fill out schedules, reduce costs, increase revenue and still allow schools to contend for league titles against local rivals of similar size. Watkins and Northridge would probably be the only two schools that would have to look for another opponent or two outside of the county beyond what the other schools would have to do. In Watkins' case, it would have four league games plus it might schedule NC, Johnstown and/or Heath before it would have to look beyond county lines. In Northridge's case, it could add Lakewood, Heights and possibly even a Granville to its league schedule before having to search elsewhere. I think each of the other remaining eight schools could (and already do in many instances) play football against each other. I don't for a second believe NC wouldn't want to play every team in the bigger division if it could and many of those schools would feel the same about NC (remember, in football, it's largely the 2nd level points that get you in or out of the playoffs with a high standing -- meaning you need to beat teams that beat other teams -- and NC's success against its opponents would make it a desirable opponent for the bigger schools even though it is D6).

I, too, didn't buy the LCL talk previously and I'm unsure now whether or not something is happening (though I do wonder about a few things I've heard or personally seen), but the two-division idea would be one way to fix the inherent problem of some schools being much bigger than others. Anyone who thinks school districts aren't looking for ways to control costs and increase revenue -- for and beyond sports -- is just choosing to put their heads in the sand. They are! In any event, whether it is within the MSL or outside the MSL, there does appear to be talk about creating some sort of county division. Whether or not that comes to fruition is anyone's guess outside of those who might be involved in the process -- and it's the reason we debate issues like this on this board.

Gvillefan i love what you have to say. nc doesnt make much from playing Academy,bexley or whitehall. this year we host lv,granville,heath witch all will bring a crowd. i know nc would play watkins and lv in crossover games. utica is not much smaller than lv and lakewood and are playing non league anyway. johnstown and northrige were on lakewoods schedule. basketball and baseball would be great.

Could you imagine if this were to happen and they set up showcase events in both sports at the start of each season? You could bring everybody to Don Edwards for a weekend of baseball where each school in one division plays another school in the other, allowing people to buy a 2-day pass to gauge each of the county schools. Or, say, a weekend event doing the same thing in basketball at Watkins' gym (spread the wealth between Newark and Pataskala!) where each school shares in the proceeds. The Advocate would certainly play up season starting events like that. I would attend both events just to get a look at each school and I would pay the total 5-game price. What is it, $5/game in MSL basketball? Put me down for $25 and I'd bet you could make them events that draw a lot of people in the county just to see almost all of the local kids play.

Gvillefan, your idea would be great for basketball and baseball nc used to play in watkins christmas basketball games and non league in baseball. i know volleyball has a county preview at nc and people love that. on another topic is granville going to join lv and get field turf sometime? nc had it in its long range plans on our field but it would be atleast 10 years.

I know they were discussing it a year or two ago and appeared on the verge of doing it right away out of the budget. But, the economy fell apart soon after and I think it got shelved. It's a hard thing to justify to taxpayers during hard times when you've got to worry about funding educational expenses at the same time you're planning a November levy. I would guess it's a long range goal now with no definite timeline.

Keep in mind with two 5 team divisions you have every team looking for “non-league” games week 1-5 AND 4 of the 5 teams would have a non-league game to fill one of the weeks 6 through 10. That’s not very ideal. You are an MBC team having week 1-3 non league and week 7-10 league – and you are going to switch to week 1-5 and say week 9 being non-league? That’s going to save you money? Uh huh.
The other alternative is cross over games. Then you aren’t avoiding those “bigger” schools!


Sounds good… but do the schedule. SOMEBODY is going to have to play Watkins, LV ect. Not every team in the smaller division can schedule Heights and Lakewood!



Red herring? The red herring is that it would help AT ALL. People are throwing out this “play county schools = more revenue.” Maybe. I 100% gaurentee Utica, Johnstown and Northridge Granville and Heath were NOT getting more people to their games in the 1980s when they weren’t winning AT ALL. I bring that up and the response back is “well they won’t play the bigger schools”? So now we are to a 4 game schedule… NOT playing the other licking county schools!

So I’m Utica… IN the MBC I play 7 games with Grandview, Granville and Heath. We are proposing I leave the MBC, join the MSL… play Heath, NC, Jtown and Northridge… maybe Granville and one of the other county schools in the BIG school division… then fill in non-league games. How am I saving on travel or making more money? I play 4 licking county teams now… maybe 6 then… but have to scramble to find games in week 4/5/6 that aren’t easy to fill and I may end up with much more travel and much less people coming to my games! OR I play all Licking County teams and go back to hoping I can win 3 or 4 games a year… and even my fans won’t be coming to our games!

I’m not saying anyone says this is THE solution. I’m saying it will actually COST schools money in the long run. The very reason the LCL broke up 20 years ago.



Right… because Granville and Johnstown have been winning a lot recently. Utica has high hopes this year. Now have all three of those teams win 4 or fewer games every year for a decade AND have no hope of doing so for the next decade (see all 3 in the LCL days).
1) They are successful because they play teams their size in their current leagues
2) They ALREADY PLAY! Under this proposal they don’t ADD those games… they switch them to league games… and have to scramble to find MORE non-league games! (likely=more travel)



It’s one of the two. You are trying to have it both ways. When I point out that the smaller schools simply won’t be successful long term against the larger schools I’m told “well they won’t play the larger ones! Hence the split!” Then I say “teams won’t bring any bigger crowds” and I’m told these bigger schools will! They won’t if they aren’t playing!
AND To say Licking Heights brought more fans in the LCL days to Utica than East Knox does now is simply wrong. It’s not the case.



As I pointed out you do neither. You’ll end up playing fewer local games. IF you are doing this for “local” matchups then you have to play everyone. Nobody wants that… so you end up with more non-league games in tough weeks to fill.


Exactly! So… what was the advantage of changing again?


Right… until they start missing the playoffs!
They don’t do that anymore, in case you missed it.
They missed the last two post seasons and picked up Harvest Prep for Amanda Clearcreak.
As for 2nd level points – so true. But you have to win and those teams have to win to get that.



Oh people talk about it all the time. Once you really start looking into the actual “how it would work” you realize two things:
1) It won’t save any money and likely will cost money and lead to more travel.
2) Very few teams will be happy and the odds are the league splits again in a couple years.

BTW - I want to clarify that I think for some schools... mostly the LC MSL teams... it's a fine idea
the MBC 3 it's just not helping
I'm talking from their perspective

The first post said the official vote will be this last week. Any news?

I haven't heard any news about an LCL. Did hear from another person that the MSL was indeed discussing whether to create all-Licking and all-Fairfield county divisions, but Millersport was still troubled by it because of the relative size problems. Whether the league chose to realign all the divisions and/or expand, it would not be voted on until June 2011 and would not apply until the 2013-2014 school year.

me too, I am curious about this prediction as well

Yea as I think I mentioned the MSL constitution only allows for expansion votes every other year and 2010 isn't a voting year...
so it would not be voted on until next year (though there has been rumors over the years some of the schools like millersport would ask for that to be changed... but I don't see that happening)

of course they are discussing it... they are discussing a whole lot of things...
which is a big reason I pointed out this isn't a "done deal"
and won't be until next summer at the earliest (by rule)

Maybe the vote would be to explore expansion for the voting year.

they are already doing that...

they had a whole bunch of schools in the last few meetings...

I haven't talked to one person from Johnstown, Northridge or Utica that's even remotely interested in going back to the LCL. We've got a pretty good thing going in the MBC, so I don't look for that to change any time in the future either.

None of those teams would want in the MSL (for football) because they would rarely win.

Because half of the schools in the MSL are bigger schools than any of those teams. Lets put an MSL team in the OCC and see how many games they win.

They're mostly d3 teams. Utica is only one divsion below that in football. Heath is d4 and NC is d6. There is a big difference from playing up one division (in this case d4 to some d3 games) and playing from d3 to d1. On another note, did Utica not play in the LCL with all of these schools before? Utica just wants to stay in "Easyville". It's okay.

good point...

how many MSL titles has heath won since they added the big schools?

Maybe there is an issue?

Look don't get to excited because Lakewood is bad right now (7-0 vs Lakewood since the merger) and Whitehall down (6-1 since the merger)
Heath is 6-18 vs LV, Granville, Bexley and NA in those years while 7-4 vs NC and CA (smaller)

(FWIW heath is also 8-5 vs Utica, Northridge and Jtown in those 7 years so it's not like they "domintate")

the even bigger issue is stability... a LCL would ... WOULD change quickly when Newark or Watkins or LH turns it around and wants into a bigger league... or a Heath or NC or a smaller school wants out to compete vs similiar size


[/quote]

Yea... and the league broke up after LH and Northridge found success outside the league and Watkins headed to the OCC... with Heath and Granville jumping being the final nail in the coffin

Heath would be better off playing in a leauge with a set-up much like the MBC, as Buckeyedan pointed out, they have not had much success against the larger schools. Being in a smaller school league and playing LV and/or Granville non-leauge would be best for them not just in football but all sports over the long term.

I think Heath did as well as they did in the playoffs simply because they play in a tough league. They had to fight in the league and they fought well in the playoffs. I don't think an easier league would help them there. As a player a league championship is good but the postseason is where it is at and they can make it there without winning this league.

Ahahaha my what a short memory you have my friend. I remember not too long ago when no one in this county wanted to play Utica because they got their ••••• kicked...wasn't it earlier this decade when Utica beat Granville 66-7 and Heath 59-0 in consectutive weeks? Those teams have a few bad years and they're just "rebuilding", but we have a few down seasons and we're "weak" ...now, we're starting to have winning seasons again but because the schools in the MSL screwed up the old LCL and we want nothing to do with all your BS, we want to stay in "Easyville". Whatever helps you sleep at night buddy.

And after JD Graham stood up at the conference meeting and said that they would leave if the league stayed together.

You can talk past all you like. This is the present and the fact is, besides Johnstown, the MBC is a weaker league. IMO, if Utica's numbers grow they should join the MSL. It would be good for Licking County.

I may be wrong but I thought J D offered to leave to keep the league together.

I heard they were looking at a 5 Big and 5 Small MSL/LCL and playing at least one team from the other division to not have an open date to fill (I assume) This is more real than you would think, but the MBC schools have good gates so they may not be as intersted as some of the MSL schools are. I think it is definitely a possiblility.

It's nearly zero possibility... the MBC teams have no interest and haven't for years
and don't count on LH saying they are ready yet...

the LC MSL teams kick it around and long for it... and watkins might "look into it"...
but it takes everyone and some just have no interest and for good reason

it's real like me winning the lottery... I want it... but it's not going to happen



fine...
but heath's had one trip to the playoffs since joining the MSL in 1992...(2 times total)
Johnstonw 4 times... Northridge 4 times... Utica 3 times




That was self serving... it was already done: LH and Northridge had been gone for years... Watkins had agreed to join the OCC and Heath and Granville the MSL... wasn't much left to save

Heath has not been strong you are right, but they played very competitive in the playoffs last year and I think the league helped that. Of the three you mentioned Northridge is the only one I can remember having much sucess and they did that with a coach who had won two titles at another school.

again the comment was that those schools aren't better off...

they are... they win league titles and make the post season much more...

the theory is fine for heath...

then again Grove City Christian played about as weak of a schedule as you can and went to the state semi-finals...

all sorts of ways... but it doesn't matter if you don't get in!

buckeyedan unless you have insider information I know that some if not all 3 of the MBC schools have at least sent representatives to the meetings to investigate the possibility, but it will be interesting to see how or if it works out. Since it would only be two divisions of 5 would they try to keep any of the other MSL teams? Or would they have them make their own MSL group?

Grove City Christian was a one year SW schools didn't have sports deal. Between graduation and kids going back to their div 1 schools they will struggle to make the playoffs.

Well I do know from two ADs that attended the meetings in the winter and spring that the three MBC teams did NOT have anyone there... and there were like over 20 schools (not in the MSL) that did...



Possibly... but that has nothing to do with the discussion
the discussion is that playing a tough schedule always helps teams get farther...
not really the case from history

look at NC and their non-league now...

For starters, BuckeyeFan98 is referring to county schools meeting about a new LCL -- not the MSL meetings that I've also heard your information is outdated on. Secondly, I've heard that there have been meetings and this thing -- 2 divisions of 5 teams -- is not far off from reality. BuckeyeFan98 is correct that the MBC schools have been in the discussions and it's not just superficial interest. There are still stumbling blocks (one in particular) that might be hard to overcome, but the schools are definitely exploring the idea of this new league outside of the MSL framework. Will be interesting to see if they can complete the plans being discussed.