Ottawa-Kent Conference

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.

Members
School Mascot Affiliation Class Enrollment County Year Admitted Division
Allendale Falcons Public B 752 Ottawa 1994 Blue
Belding Black Knights Public B 538 Ionia 1995 Silver
Byron Center Bulldogs Public A 1324 Kent 1958# White
Caledonia Fighting Scots Public A 1431 Kent 1970 Red
Cedar Springs Red Hawks Public A 1078 Kent 1984 Gold
Comstock Park Panthers Public B 530 Kent 1970 Silver
Coopersville Broncos Public A 863 Ottawa 1984 Blue
East Grand Rapids Pioneers Public A 909 Kent 1970 White
East Kentwood Falcons Public A 2906 Kent 1961 Red
Forest Hills Central Rangers Public A 1049 Kent 1960 White
Forest Hills Eastern Hawks Public B 801 Kent 2005 Gold
Forest Hills Northern Huskies Public A 1142 Kent 1972 White
Fruitport Trojans Public B 794 Muskegon 2016 Blue
Godwin Heights Wolverines Public B 662 Kent 1967 Silver
Grand Rapids Catholic Central Cougars Private B 584 Kent 2008 Gold
Grand Rapids Christian Eagles Private B 754 Kent 2008 White
Grand Rapids Ottawa Hills Bengals Public A 1132 Kent 2008 Gold
Grand Rapids Union Red Hawks Public A 1924 Kent 2008 Green
Grand Rapids West Catholic Falcons Private B 484 Kent 2008 Blue
Grand Haven Buccaneers Public A 1882 Ottawa 1985 Red
Grandville Bulldogs Public A 1752 Kent 1970 Red
Grandville Calvin Christian Squires Private C 261 Kent 1975 Silver
Greenville Yellow Jackets Public A 1071 Montcalm 2003 White
Hamilton Hawkeyes Public B 764 Allegan 1970 Blue
Holland Dutch Public A 930 Ottawa 1985 Green
Holland Christian Maroons Private B 674 Ottawa 2003 Blue
Holland West Ottawa Panthers Public A 2170 Ottawa 1965 Red
Hopkins Vikings Public B 483 Allegan 1994 Silver
Hudsonville Eagles Public A 1972 Ottawa 1958# Red
Hudsonville Unity Christian Crusaders Private B 662 Ottawa 1995 Blue
Jenison Wildcats Public A 1561 Ottawa 1970 Red
Kelloggsville Rockets Public B 621 Kent 1958# Silver
Kenowa Hills Knights Public A 1000 Kent 1965 Gold
Lowell Red Arrows Public A 1078 Kent 1984 White
Middleville Thornapple Kellogg Trojans Public A 936 Kent 1970 Gold
Muskegon Big Reds Public A 1130 Muskegon 2003 Green
Muskegon Mona Shores Sailors Public A 1231 Muskegon 1985 Green
Muskegon Reeths-Puffer Rockets Public A 1150 Muskegon 2003 Green
Northview Wildcats Public A 1053 Kent 1965 White
Rockford Rams Public A 2562 Kent 1970 Red
South Christian Sailors Private B 659 Kent 1967 Gold
Sparta Spartans Public B 846 Kent 1984 Silver
Spring Lake Lakers Public B 784 Ottawa 2016 Blue
Wayland Wildcats Public B 801 Allegan 1970 Gold
Wyoming Wolves Public A 1224 Kent 2012 Green
Zeeland East Chix Public A 988 Ottawa 1965 Green
Zeeland West Dux Public A 1016 Ottawa 2005 Green
  • 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).

2024-25 Alignment

OK-Gold[1]

  • South Christian
  • Thornapple Kellogg
  • Holland
  • Wayland
  • Forest Hills Eastern
  • Hamilton
  • Holland Christian
  • Unity Christian

OK-Red[1]

OK-Black[2]

OK-White[3]

OK-Blue[3]

OK-Silver[3]

  • Sparta
  • Hopkins
  • Godwin Heights
  • Kelloggsville
  • Calvin Christian
  • Belding
  • Comstock Park
  • NorthPointe Christian

Past realignments

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. 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

State championships

Schools that have won MHSAA (unless otherwise noted) state championships while being members of 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.

Membership Timeline
Fruitport Community SchoolsWyoming High School (Michigan)NorthPointe Christian SchoolsGrand Rapids Catholic Central High SchoolWest Catholic High SchoolGrand Rapids Christian High SchoolUnion High School (Grand Rapids, Michigan)Ottawa Hills High School (Michigan)Creston High School (Michigan)Grand Rapids Central High SchoolForest Hills Eastern High SchoolUnity Christian High School (Hudsonville)Holland Christian High SchoolGreenville High School (Michigan)Muskegon High SchoolReeths-Puffer School DistrictKent City High SchoolSpring Lake High SchoolHastings High School (Michigan)Allendale High SchoolHolland High School (Michigan)Mona Shores Public SchoolsCedar Springs Public SchoolsLowell High School (Lowell, Michigan)Sparta High School (Michigan)Forest Hills Northern High SchoolJenison High SchoolComstock Park Public SchoolsCaledonia High School (Michigan)East Grand Rapids High SchoolRockford High SchoolGrandville High SchoolGodwin Heights Public SchoolsSouth Christian High SchoolKenowa Hills High SchoolNorthview High School (Grand Rapids, Michigan)West Ottawa High SchoolWyoming Park High SchoolEast Kentwood High SchoolForest Hills Central High SchoolRogers High School (Wyoming, Michigan)Kelloggsville Public SchoolsHudsonville High School

Ottawa Kent OK-Blue OK-Red OK-Red Metro/Lakeshore OK-White OK-Gold OK-Silver OK-Black OK-Green OK-Bronze

References
  1. "Red Division". okconference.info. Ottawa-Kent Conference. Retrieved February 8, 2023.
  2. "Green Division". okconference.info. Ottawa-Kent Conference. Retrieved February 8, 2023.
  3. "White Division". okconference.info. Ottawa-Kent Conference. Retrieved February 8, 2023.
  4. Kaminski, Steve (October 4, 2019) [October 2, 2019]. "OK Conference realignment proposal passes on third attempt". MLive. Retrieved February 8, 2023.
  5. "Boys Track & Field Team Champions 1925-2022". Michigan High School Athletic Association. Retrieved March 28, 2023.
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