Big 8 Conference (Missouri)
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The Big Eight Conference is an athletic conference comprising medium-size high schools located in the Ozarks of southwest Missouri. The conference members are mostly based around the Joplin area and are located in the counties of Barry, Barton, Lawrence, McDonald and Newton.
History
1928
The conference was established as the Southwest Activities Association but was known as the Big 10. Founding members were: Aurora, Carthage, Joplin, Lamar, Monett, Mt. Vernon, Neosho, Nevada, Springfield and Webb City.
1953
The Big 10 changed to the Big 9 when Springfield and Joplin left the conference and Cassville was added.
1963
The Big 10 was re-established when Carl Junction was added.
1976
The Big 10 added McDonald County, East Newton and Seneca to form the Big 13 Conference.
1982
Joplin (Memorial) lured Neosho, Webb City, Carthage, McDonald County and Nevada to form the Southwest Conference. The remaining schools formed the Big 8.
2013
The Big 8 Conference voted to add McDonald County as its ninth member effective in July of 2013.
2014-2015
Carl Junction Leaves Big 8 Conference for the Central Ozarks Conference (Large).
List of member schools
| School | Team Name | Colors | Town | County | School Enrollment (2014) | Primary MSHSAA class* |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aurora | Houn' Dawgs/ Lady Houns | Aurora | Lawrence | 592 | 3 | |
| Cassville | Wildcats / LadyCats | Cassville | Barry | 570 | 3 | |
| East Newton | Patriots | Granby | Newton | 475 | 3 | |
| Lamar | Tigers | Lamar | Barton | 404 | 2 | |
| McDonald County | Mustangs | Anderson | McDonald | 1125 | 4 | |
| Monett | Cubs | Monett | Barry | 724 | 3 | |
| Mt. Vernon | Mountaineers | Mt. Vernon | Lawrence | 477 | 3 | |
| Seneca | Indians | Seneca | Newton | 460 | 3 |
State championships
Aurora Houn' Dawgs
- 1964 Boys Track (B)
- 1965 Boys Indoor Track (M)
- 1965 Football (M)
- 1969 Football (2A)
- 1999 Football (3A)
Cassville Wildcats
- 2008 Football (3)
- 2009 Football (3)
East Newton Patriots
- 1977 Boys Track (2A)
- 1998 Volleyball (2A)
Lamar Tigers
- 2011 Football (2)
- 2012 Cross Country (2)
- 2012 Football (2)
- 2013 Boys Track (2)
- 2013 Football (2)
- 2014 Boys Track (2)
- 2014 Football (2)
- 2015 Football (2)
McDonald County
- 1981 Girls Basketball (3A)
Monett Cubs
- 1971 Football (2A)
- 1977 Football (2A)
- 2008 Wrestling (2)
Mt. Vernon Mountaineers
- 1947 Boys Track (B)
- 1978 Football (2A)
- 2002 Girls Golf (1)
- 2004 Boys Golf (2)
- 2005 Boys Golf (2)
- 2010 Girls Basketball (3)
- 2012 Girls Basketball (3)
Seneca Indians
- 1985 Wrestling (1A/2A)
- 1987 Football (2A)
- 1997 Football (3A)
- 2010 Wrestling (1)
Neighboring Conferences
See also
- Missouri State High School Activities Association
- List of high school athletic conferences in Missouri
External links
- Big 8 Conference (Missouri). The Missouri High School Helmet Project. Retrieved 2010-09-04.