Fayette and Harrisburg are bidding farewell to the Lewis & Clark Conference to form a new conference. Cole County R-1 (Russellville), Cole County R-V (Eugene), New Bloomfield R-IlI, Osage County R-II (Linn), and South Callaway R-Il will round out the seven-team activities/athletics conference.

The conference does not yet have a name. It will go into effect with the 2024-25 school year. Fayette Superintendent Brent Doolin said because the conference has a full academic year before it begins, the member schools will take the time to gain input before settling on a name.

The Fayette Board of Education in April voted to leave the L&C if enough other schools came on board to form the new conference. The great distances between Fayette and some L&C schools, such as Schuyler County, Knox County, and Scotland County, were primary drivers for the decision. In addition, Marceline left the L&C and will begin competing in the Grand Rivers Conference next fall. With Paris transitioning to 8-man football this fall, the loss of Fayette, Harrisburg, and Marceline will only leave three 11-man teams left in the Lewis & Clark.

Doolin told the school board in April that the new conference would reduce travel and stabilize football scheduling. “The mileage alone would seal the deal for me,” he said.

Once formed, the new conference will only have five football teams. Neither New Bloomfield nor Eugene field football teams. Linn has will begin its second year of football this fall. Early discussions detailed in April included the possibility of inviting Scotland County to the conference if all nine proposed teams joined. It is unclear if the invitation will stand with only seven teams in the new conference.

Initially, four L&C schools were in consideration for the new conference. Westran and Salisbury decided not to join. Eugene, Linn, New Bloomfield, Russellville, and South Callaway are members of the Show-Me Conference.

Both Fayette and Harrisburg will have new head football coaches when the fall season begins. Fayette announced in April that former Rock Bridge offensive coordinator Kole Hinton would lead the Falcons next year. Harrisburg hired Macon native Brennan Claas to take over for Steve Hopkins who led the Bulldogs to four straight winning seasons which concluded with a Lewis & Clark Conference title last year.

Fayette and Harrisburg will kickoff their seasons at the annual high school football jamboree hosted by Central Methodist University on August 18. Fayette opens the season at home against Carrollton on August 25. Harrisburg travels to Cabool for the Bulldogs’ season opener.