October 25, 2000

TO:        CCS EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
                cc:  CCS MEMBER SCHOOLS

FROM:    CCS REALIGNMENT COMMITTEE

                Brad Syth, Chairman; Mark Avelar; Bruce Shimizu; Ralph Swasey

SUBJECT:    RECOMMENDATIONS FOR CONFERENCE MEMBERSHIP
                        effective 2002-2003 school year

The CCS Realignment Committee met yesterday following our Open Hearing meeting held on October 19, 2000, to review the input we received at the meeting on our tentative proposal.  The CCS Realignment Committee has discussed and reviewed several proposals submitted to them as well as the verbal and written positions shared at the October 19 meeting.  There are three compelling situations that we believe must be critically addressed during this realignment cycle and which cause us, therefore, to recommend the following necessary changes in conference alignment.

RECOMMENDATION TO CCS EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

MOVE Notre Dame-Belmont (G), Sacred Heart Prep (G), St. Ignatius (G), Sacred Heart Cathedral (G) from the Northern Conference into the Central Conference

The three compelling issues that we believe make it necessary to make such a change are as follows:

1. The BVAL is currently a 24-member super league.  They divide their league into three division by sport.  Currently Branham high school, one of the 24 fields only JV sports, but next year will grow to include varsity competition.  The East Side Union HSD, broke ground yesterday on a       new comprehensive high school that will open the Fall of 2002.  It is our feeling that these two schools are logically placed in a league where all the rest of their District schools belong.  To split such schools off from their own district in some other league configuration makes no sense. However, 25 schools in the Fall of 2002 is problematic for a league to divide into three divisions for competition.  Therefore, it was our feeling that it would make sense to remove those schools from that league that do not have a district affiliation and look for options to realign those in a equitable competitive situation. 
2. The second issue we addressed was competitive equity and size of leagues.  The GPSL in the north currently consists of only five-member schools--this is not an optimum size for any league and needs to be addressed.  Competitive equity is an issue addressed by the BVAL in their proposal and the need for the very dominant schools in that league to be able to schedule more competitive contests outside of their league is hindered by the size of the current BVAL. 
3. The third issue was we were able to move schools with boys and girls currently separated into different leagues and/or different conferences into the same league and/or conference. e.g. Menlo, St. Ignatius, Mitty, St. Francis, Sacred Heart Cathedral, while still maintaining a good balance of school and league membership in both the Central and Northern Conference.

Our rationale for our recommendation, therefore, is size of leagues, equity of competition and matching genders in the same league and same conference.

While it is not our role to make recommendations for league alignment within the Conference, we felt it would be irresponsible to make conference changes unless there were viable leaguing options when the conference changes were made.

Therefore, we see the following as viable league alignment options that the conferences may or may not consider in the league realignment process that begins this January. These may not be the only options, they are simply some that we thought were viable considerations and therefore, allowed the conference membership changes that we have recommended.

(Click here for league possibilities for Conference Consideration)