The landscape of high school sports in the tricounties is headed for a change.
The leagues local prep sports fans are used to following may have a new look next year.
On Monday at Bishop Diego, representatives from the schools that make up the Marmonte, Pacific View, Channel, Frontier, Tri-Valley, Condor, Los Padres, Pac 7 and Coast Valley leagues will gather to vote on league-by-league configurations for the 2014-18 releaguing cycle. The plan that is approved by a majority-rules vote will be submitted to the CIF-Southern Section, pending appeals, for final approval in the fall.
One thing is certain going into Monday’s meeting, Oaks Christian and St. Bonaventure will not be part of the Northern Area leagues. Those schools were recently reassigned to the Parochial Area for the four-year releaguing cycle, a move that will put them in a league with other private schools in L.A. County. The schools appealed the decision but it was denied by the CIF-SS Executive Committee.
As for the remaining schools in the Northern Area, 35 releaguing proposals have been submitted for the meeting.
“Any school from the northern area can present a proposal at the meeting as long as the proposal places each team in the area into a league,” said Bishop Diego Athletic Director Dan Peeters.
The proposals range from the Channel, Marmonte and Pacific View leagues forming a three-tier 17-school football-only association, to Oxnard, Rio Mesa and Pacifica joining the Channel League for all sports.
The tiers for the proposed mega-league would be determined by Max Preps’ power rankings.
The top tier for the first year would include Westlake, Moorpark, Thousand Oaks, Camarillo, Newbury Park and Ventura. Tier 2 would have Royal, Oxnard, Buena, Dos Pueblos, Rio Mesa and Simi Valley. Agoura, Santa Barbara, Pacifica, Calabasas and San Marcos would make up the third tier.
Other proposals involving the Channel League, which currently consists of the three Santa Barbara public schools (Santa Barbara, San Marcos and Dos Pueblos) and Ventura and Buena highs, include:
—A 10-team configuration called the Channel View Association with the five Channel League teams plus Camarillo, Pacifica, Oxnard and Rio Mesa of the Pacific View League and Moorpark.
—A 12-team Channel View Association with all the Pacific View teams and Oak Park.
—A 12-team Channel View Association with the Pacific View teams and Moorpark.
—A nine-team league with the original five plus Oxnard, Rio Mesa, Camarillo and Pacifica.
Another option is the five Channel League teams cross schedule with the five Pacific View teams from Oxnard. Camarillo would move to the Marmonte League.
A change that appears certain to be approved is long-time Condor League members Cate and Thacher moving to the Tri-County Athletic Association, which is composed of the Tri-Valley and Frontier Leagues. Bishop Diego and Carpinteria are part of the TCAA.
With Cate and Thacher leaving, the Condor League would be left with Laguna Blanca, Besant Hill, Dunn, Midland, Providence Hall, Oak Grove, Ojai Valley and new school Garden Street Academy of Santa Barbara.
Another proposal has Hueneme and Channel Islands joining the TCAA, making it a 15-team circuit of schools ranging from enrollments of 2,000 to barely 300. In that scenario, the league would be separated into three tiers.
Among the proposals involving Northern Santa Barbara County schools:
—Football-only leagues: Pac-5 with Arroyo Grande, Atascadero Paso Robles, Righetti and San Luis Obispo; Los Padres with Cabrillo, Lompoc, Pioneer Valley, St. Joseph and Santa Ynez; Northern with Mission Prep, Morro Bay, Nipomo, Santa Maria and Templeton.
—Non football Los Padres League with Cabrillo, Lompoc, Mission Prep, Morro Bay, Nipomo, Orcutt Academy, Santa Maria, Templeton, Santa Ynez.
—Non football Pac 7 with Arroyo Grande, Atascadero, Paso Robles, Pioneer Valley, Righetti, San Luis Obispo, St. Joseph.
—Football-only leagues Pac 5 (AG, Atascadero, Paso Robles, Righetti, SLO), South (Cabrillo, Pioneer Valley, Lompoc, Santa Ynez, St. Joseph), Central (Santa Maria, Mission Prep, Morro Bay, Nipomo, Templeton).
—Non-football San Luis Obispo County League and Santa Barbara County League.
