osaacirclecolorjpgWILSONVILLE – Changes could be on the horizon for high school sports teams around the Umpqua Basin.

Every four years, the Oregon Schools Activities Association tasks a Classification and Districting Committee with evaluating the current structure of high school sports in Oregon. Another four year period is coming up in 2018 and the committee held its first official meeting evaluating the current 6-classification format last week.

During the meeting in Wilsonville, the committee reviewed testimony from the OSAA, member schools of the organization, and from the public. After consideration, the committee members decided to formulate two draft proposals for altering the current 6-classification structure.

The committee released a 6-classification proposal and a 5-classification proposal. Roseburg, the largest school in Douglas County, would remain at the highest level of competition in both proposals and would remain in what is currently the Southwest Conference. The only change would be the elimination of Willamette High School.

While the Indians would stay put, there were other proposed changes that would affect local schools. Sutherlin would move back into the Far West League in the 6-classification draft, but South Umpqua would move out of the Far West and into the Skyline League, joining teams mostly from Grants Pass, Medford, and Klamath Falls.

In the 5-classification model, South Umpqua, Douglas, and Sutherlin would all move to the 3A level. Douglas and Sutherlin would be together in the Mountain Valley Conference, while South Umpqua would move to a newly created Southern Cascade League.

These are just draft proposals and not final recommendations by the committee. The 16-person committee will meet several times throughout the current school year and will make its final recommendations to the OSAA Executive Board in October 2017.

Those interested can submit their own proposals or testimony for the Classification and Districting Committee to consider. Recommendations and comments can be submitted online by emailing Assistant Executive Director Brad Garrett (bradg@osaa.org) or by attending a public meeting. The next public meeting is scheduled for November 14 in Wilsonville and a full list of scheduled meetings can be found HERE.

Other local schools around the Umpqua Basin would also be affected by the current draft proposals. Find the full 6-classification draft HERE and the 5-classification HERE.