The Northwest Board of Education approved a switch in sports conferences; the transition was approved on Feb. 9, 2026. This conversation came up among two athletic directors in the Interstate 8 (I-8) and Southeastern Conference (SEC white division) last March at the Michigan Interscholastic Athletic Administrators Association (MIAAA). The MIAAA works to improve the school athletic programs and educates the school athletic directors.
Starting in the fall of 2027, the Northwest School District will switch to the SEC white division to improve scheduling and better align with surrounding schools. The SEC red and white divisions have been around since 2000. The I-8 division has been around since 2014, and the Northwest School District has been in the I-8 division since it started. Northwest is determined to be in an established league with better growth opportunities.
“Nothing will change our preparation,” Said Northwest Baseball Coach Steven Salow.
The change will bring a greater challenge to Northwest athletes. The new division has a higher competitive edge than our current conference; as a result, the competition will be steeper, and the stakes will be higher. Some athletes predict Jackson High School, one of the schools in our new conference, to replace Western High School as our sports “rival.”
The I-8 division currently includes Northwest, Coldwater, Marshall, Harper Creek, Hastings, Pennfield, and Western. In addition, this is
Happening because coaches have seen growth in participation in each program, with the 2025 JV and Varsity football team having a total of 80 players overall and aiming for its first-ever playoff position in the years to come.
One of the difficulties that helped make this decision was the odd number of teams in the I-8 division. The Interstate 8 division was initially made up of 8 schools, but dropped down to 7 when Lumen Christi left to join the Catholic High School League in May of 2022.
“It would be nice to go against more competitive teams,” Said Varsity cheer Melissa Coito.
As this change of divisions will affect different sports schedules, it will also affect the players’ and coaches’ lives in numerous ways.
“The comp days will change, and the practices will feel longer.” Said Varsity cheerleader Nina Fradl.
The SEC white division consists of Adrian, Tecumseh, Chelsea, Jackson High, and Pinckney, soon to be Northwest. These teams have shown determination in scores and game results, and the Northwest coaches are excited to start a new journey and have their teams be pushed to try harder.
“It was very enticing to all of our coaches, to our school board, to the community that we wanted to be part of a very established league and stability moving forward,” said Northwest athletic director Chris Galloway.
Overall, this change of direction will have a positive effect on the Northwest school district. The transition will make the game schedules more accessible and will give Northwest a higher level of competition. Changing the schedule will make it easier for the athletes’ families to make it to games, and will make the athletes feel the game is more worth playing.
