Mt. Pleasant, IA- The Southeast Conference (SEC) has taken a page out of it’s same-named college conference and will be expanding to seven teams starting in the 2028-29 school year with Oskaloosa joining the fold, pending Oskaloosa School Board approval.
Originally a part of the Little Hawkeye Conference, it was determined by an alignment committee would not be the best long-term fit, but no action was taken. That was before Jamie Jacobs, Oskaloosa Activities Director, arrived and reopened the committee.
“The move is right for Oskaloosa schools based on school sizes,” Jacobs said. “They are all 3A schools, and they are towns and communities that reflect our own.”
The compatibility in terms of competitive balance, student experience, and community relationships were the main reasons in the SEC unanimously voting to invite Oskaloosa to the conference. Additionally, the fine arts departments amongst the SEC proved to be a drawing card,
“I think some of the things that stood out were our fine arts opportunities, the positive experiences we’ve created, and even our media presence,” Jacobs said. “Those are things we can contribute to the conference in a meaningful way.”
Despite the SEC expressing an openness to accelerate Oskaloosa’s timeline, by the Little Hawkeye conference bylaws, there is a two-year timeline departure that Oskaloosa will be respecting. Nevertheless, everyone involved is excited for the opportunity and busy coordinating schedules,
“Right now, it’s a lot of planning to make sure it’s a smooth transition,” Jacobs said.