DES MOINES, Iowa — Des Moines Public Schools announced Friday it is joining the new Iowa Alliance Conference for high school sports.
Eleven Iowa high schools will begin competing in the new conference in the 2022-23 school year. The athletic league was designed to "enhance competition and participation among schools with long-time rivalries," according to the district.
“This change is about providing our students with more opportunities to participate, compete and succeed,” DMPS Superintendent Thomas Ahart said. “I am excited for what this will mean for our high schools and all members of the new conference.”
The conference will be divided into two divisions consisting of the following high schools:
- North: Ames, Fort Dodge, Marshalltown, Mason City, Waterloo East
- South: Des Moines East, Hoover, Lincoln, North, Ottumwa, Roosevelt
Ten of those 11 schools currently compete in the Central Iowa Metropolitan League (CIML). Waterloo East is currently in the Mississippi Valley Conference.
The district said the new league will improve student participation, success in hiring and retaining coaches and scheduling flexibility while maintaining historic rivalries between central Iowa schools.
“The Iowa Alliance Conference meets the needs and interests of not only our DMPS high schools but all members, and lays the groundwork for all students, coaches and teams to have more opportunities to succeed,” said Jason Allen, the school district’s director of activities.
The first competitions will be in cross country, boys golf, girls swimming and volleyball starting in August 2022.
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