HOWARD — The Mid-Ohio Athletic Conference is looking to expand again. And another local school is much closer to becoming a member.
East Knox has been contacted by the MOAC to become a member beginning with the 2014-15 school year.
The MOAC is already preparing for a major expansion, as Centerburg and Fredericktown look to join in 2013 from a crumbling Mid-Buckeye Conference. The MOAC is also adding Fairbanks and Jonathan Alder.
However, in the conference’s most recent meeting, commissioner Jerry Widder received permission to contact schools about joining the Blue Division.
East Knox athletic director Derick Busenberg said he received a call on Monday, Jan. 30 from Widder, regarding interest in becoming a member.
“Mr. Widder... was contacting schools in a particular order to gauge their level of interest,” said Busenberg. “Fortunately, we were the first school on that list.”
Busenberg told Widder that East Knox was interested, and Widder invited him to the next MOAC meeting on Wednesday, Feb. 22.
“It should be noted that we have not received a formal invitation from the MOAC,” Busenberg said. “But we do anticipate receiving an invitation on Feb. 22.”
If that happens, Busenberg would then take the invitation before the school board, which will likely vote on it in its March meeting.
East Knox has been looking for a new conference affiliation since the announcement of the formation of the Licking County League in early 2011. Utica, Johnstown and Northridge will leave the MBC for the LCL in 2013. With Fredericktown and Centerburg leaving for the MOAC at that time, it would leave East Knox, Danville and Loudonville with no conference affiliation.
