The Ottawa-Kent Conference is an athletic league located in West Michigan. Its current leader is David VanNoord. It has member schools from Allegan, Ionia, Kent, Montcalm, Muskegon, and Ottawa Counties. It has 48 member schools that partake in athletics. According to the MHSAA they have the main offices located at Grandville High School.
Note: The class and population size are from the 2023-24 MHSAA listings. The # next to the year admitted is for founding members.
Classifications
As of the 2006-07 school year the conference has put a requirement in writing for which sports they want all schools to have a varsity level program in. Those include Baseball, Basketball (boys & girls), Football, Softball (girls), Track & Field (boys & girls), Volleyball (girls), and Wrestling
They also listed a second group of sports which they want a minimal of two more sports in varsity level. Those include Bowling (boys & girls), Competitive Cheer (girls), Cross Country (boys & girls), Golf (boys & girls), Gymnastics (girls), Ice Hockey, Soccer (boys & girls), Swimming (boys & girls), Tennis (boys & girls), and Water Polo (boys & girls)
Furthermore, for expansion purposes they must have a JV program in the mandatory programs along with adding freshman programs. This has been a change when in 2004 they wanted freshman programs in all of the required programs instead they want to see improvement in the schools to have them form one when participation is high enough to warrant it.
Sports not listed as ones they will offer varsity status for include Lacrosse (boys & girls) and Skiing (boys & girls).
Every two years, the conference realigns itself due to changes in school sizes as some school districts increase at a large rate while others may stay constant or decline. Along with the changes in school populations, they also hear requests to join the conference. The process is a lengthy one and requires a 75% majority of the member schools to allow any new school in the conference.
The Grand Rapids City League joined the conference for the 2008–2009 season.[needs update] According to the Grand Rapids Press, the principals approved with a 43 to 1 vote. The league aligned with seven seven divisions and passed by the committee of athletic directors 34 to 10.
The executive board is made up of at least one principal from each division. After that the Executive Council made up all of the principals would ratify changes. The thought process is only do minor alignment change in two years followed by a possible major realignment in fours depending on different factors. The difference would be actual schools added to the conference or change in the number of divisions versus just flip flopping schools around.
According to the GR Press, seven schools voted no on the City League proposal for several different reasons. Two schools, Lowell and Zeeland West did not show up for the meeting and as such no votes were given to them. The other schools include Lee, East Kentwood, Hudsonville, Jenison, and Middleville. The reasons given for their no votes were because of concerns about the possibility that the four Grand Rapids Public Schools might drop their athletic programs, because of the enrollment differential in some divisions and because of the size of some of the divisions. According to past policies of those schools and previous article quotes from those schools it is assumed what schools felt which way. For Jenison, Hudsonville, and Lee it was the enrollment differences along with the size of their division. East Kentwood and probably Middleville were upset with the Athletic Director of the Grand Rapids Public Schools discussing saving money by eliminating two high school ADs after the first two votes of the conference to let them into the conference.
All seven City League schools officially became full members of the OK Conference beginning with the 2008–09 school year.
The Swimming Conferences were realigned for the 2011–2012 school year and consist of only four levels.
In 2019, a new alignment was enacted that took effect with the 2020–2021 school year. The OK Black division was abolished. The proposal was passed by a vote of 35 to 14 (33 votes or higher to pass).[4]
Notable alumni
Notable Alumni who have participated athletically in the OK Conference
Note: The Comstock Park Championship was determined by Individual Format versus the Team Duel Format.
Note: Water polo is not recognized by the MHSAA but the OK Conference allows it full varsity status. The teams compete for the Michigan Water Polo Association (MWPA) State Championship.
