The Central Ozark Conference approved this morning the admittance of Kickapoo and Glendale as COC members effective the 2024-2025 school year, according to Nixa Chief Communications Officer Zac Rantz.
The Chiefs and Falcons will be the first entries into the COC for any Springfield school. Currently, all five Springfield public schools are members of the Ozark Conference.
The COC will maintain 10 members, as it has since 2018.
The additions of Kickapoo and Glendale will follow the departures of Branson and Carl Junction.
Ozark and Nixa already have had Kickapoo and Glendale on many of their fall, winter and spring sports schedules, with the notable exception being football.
The Tigers last played the Falcons on the gridiron during Districts in 2016 and met both the Falcons and Chiefs in the playoffs in 2013.
The Eagles haven't played Kickapoo in football in 10 years, after annually meeting the Chiefs from 2008-2013. Nixa hasn't faced the Falcons on the gridiron since 2008.
The Ozark Conference will drop from 11 schools to six, with Springfield Central, Parkview, Lebanon, Camdenton, Rolla and Waynesville still on board.
West Plains, Bolivar and Hillcrest will leave the OC for the newly-formed Ozark Mountain Conference.
