I am as much a traditionalist as the next person, but I am curious about the Northern Kentucky Athletic Conference that most of the schools in Campbell, Boone and Kenton participate in.

 

I know that most of those schools are, and always have been, in the ninth region. However, several of those schools are now in other regions...such as Campbell Co., Brossart, Silver Grove, Scott, Simon Kenton, etc...

 

It seems to me that those schools would want to have the flexibility to play more schools in their regions and that being members of the NKAC hampers that flexibility. I know those schools are in a tough spot, but was just wondering...

 

what are the advantages of membership in the NKAC?

 

Not passing judgement at all, but with the regular season limited to 24 games, and with mandatory conference scheduling taking up 8-10 of those slots, plus maybe some districts are seeding and that takes up 3-6 more games, doesn't leave a lot of spots open in the old schedule.

I am as much a traditionalist as the next person, but I am curious about the Northern Kentucky Athletic Conference that most of the schools in Campbell, Boone and Kenton participate in.

 

I know that most of those schools are, and always have been, in the ninth region. However, several of those schools are now in other regions...such as Campbell Co., Brossart, Silver Grove, Scott, Simon Kenton, etc...

 

It seems to me that those schools would want to have the flexibility to play more schools in their regions and that being members of the NKAC hampers that flexibility. I know those schools are in a tough spot, but was just wondering...

 

what are the advantages of membership in the NKAC?

 

Not passing judgement at all, but with the regular season limited to 24 games, and with mandatory conference scheduling taking up 8-10 of those slots, plus maybe some districts are seeding and that takes up 3-6 more games, doesn't leave a lot of spots open in the old schedule.

 

I'm purely guessing here, but would think it has a lot to do with keeping old rivalries alive & geography (much less expensive to travel & play against old rivals around NKY than to venture to the far reaches of the 10th region on Tuesday nights). That coupled with the fact many of these schools still compete in the same regions in many other sports, such as football, soccer, golf, baseball, track, etc. Some great rivalries for example among the NKY Catholic schools, most of which are class "A" type schools; Scott vs. Simon Kenton an old rivalry, along with SK-Dixie, etc.

Agreed but the reality is those schools are hurting themselves in all the sports they are in the 10th or 8th region. If your goal is to win those regions and compete at a state level you must play all the good schools in that region. Otherwise you are just treading water. Ask the kids what they would rather win the NKAC or the REGION?

Agreed but the reality is those schools are hurting themselves in all the sports they are in the 10th or 8th region. If your goal is to win those regions and compete at a state level you must play all the good schools in that region. Otherwise you are just treading water. Ask the kids what they would rather win the NKAC or the REGION?

I don't think their hurting themselves. They can still schedule the power houses of their region to prepare, this just gives them the freedom to not schedule some teams they really have no need in playing, and save on travel expenses.

I don't think their hurting themselves. They can still schedule the power houses of their region to prepare, this just gives them the freedom to not schedule some teams they really have no need in playing, and save on travel expenses.

 

Agreed--It really allows for the best of both worlds where Scott for example, can still schedule the Mason's, Pendleton's and Clark's of the 10th; and keep their local rivalries alive, and save travel money and time to boot.

Agreed--It really allows for the best of both worlds where Scott for example, can still schedule the Mason's, Pendleton's and Clark's of the 10th; and keep their local rivalries alive, and save travel money and time to boot.

I'm still lost to the fact how Highlands did not make the move before Scott.

I'm still lost to the fact how Highlands did not make the move before Scott.

 

Something to do with distance from the river, I think!!

I see absolutely no benefit for those schools to play in the NKAC in basketball or baseball. The only time they would play them in the playoffs in baseball would be every third year in the semi-state and in basketball it limits the number of games you can play against competition in other regions as well. The days of the NKAC for those schools that have moved into other regions should be a thing of the past. You could still schedule some of them or better yet just have an NKAC tournament in both sports and play it over a weekend. That way you would not have to count all those games as individual games against your 24 game limit in basketball or your 30 game limit in baseball.

I see absolutely no benefit for those schools to play in the NKAC in basketball or baseball. The only time they would play them in the playoffs in baseball would be every third year in the semi-state and in basketball it limits the number of games you can play against competition in other regions as well. The days of the NKAC for those schools that have moved into other regions should be a thing of the past. You could still schedule some of them or better yet just have an NKAC tournament in both sports and play it over a weekend. That way you would not have to count all those games as individual games against your 24 game limit in basketball or your 30 game limit in baseball.

Have you ever thought the teams in the NKAC from different regions think the overall competition in the 9th is better?

That's fine if they think that way, just don't require them to play in the conference. Give them the choice of playing those teams on their own and if they want to play teams from other regions let them have that choice as well. Don't make them tie up a third of their schedule as a requirement to play teams they want or don't want to play.

That's fine if they think that way, just don't require them to play in the conference. Give them the choice of playing those teams on their own and if they want to play teams from other regions let them have that choice as well. Don't make them tie up a third of their schedule as a requirement to play teams they want or don't want to play.

All the schools are in the NKAC by choice.

 

On a side note for a good period of time Covington HC dropped out of the NKAC and didn't return until football started up. At one time HC would have had to play in Div III and they didn't want to be forced to play that level of compeition.

 

So it is the schools choice to play or not.

Travel is one plus, many fairly talented teams in a small area.

I think it might also have something to do with publicity. It is hard enough for some of the fringe schools in the Northern Kentucky area to get the press that their teams deserve, much less if they are playing teams from farther away from the Northern Kentucky Newspapers readership. Press isn't everything, but it is nice to get your kids the recognition they deserve. If SK, for example, is playing Trimble County, Oldham County, Shelby County, Anderson County, North Oldham, etc., not as many people in northern Kentucky are going to care, and the papers are going to give them less coverage, they are going to be ranked lower, and their kids will be seen less.

Who cares how your team is ranked in Northern Kentucky. Its the state rankings that matter. That is obivious when Pendleton County is ranked 5th in the entire state and only 6th in the Northern Kentucky Coaches poll that appears in the local paper. And they have beaten every Ninth and Tenth region team they have played, including Holmes and Brossart, both of which were rated above them in the Coaches poll in Northern Ky.

I am as much a traditionalist as the next person, but I am curious about the Northern Kentucky Athletic Conference that most of the schools in Campbell, Boone and Kenton participate in.

 

I know that most of those schools are, and always have been, in the ninth region. However, several of those schools are now in other regions...such as Campbell Co., Brossart, Silver Grove, Scott, Simon Kenton, etc...

 

It seems to me that those schools would want to have the flexibility to play more schools in their regions and that being members of the NKAC hampers that flexibility. I know those schools are in a tough spot, but was just wondering...

 

what are the advantages of membership in the NKAC?

 

Not passing judgement at all, but with the regular season limited to 24 games, and with mandatory conference scheduling taking up 8-10 of those slots, plus maybe some districts are seeding and that takes up 3-6 more games, doesn't leave a lot of spots open in the old schedule.

 

Seems to me this is moot point. Campbell County, for example, still scheduled Ninth Region schools Lloyd, Ludlow, and Newport instead of a tenth region school. They also had room on their schedule for Bracken and Deming, so there is still some freedom there.