The Northeast Iowa Conference announced on Monday that it had held a vote to remove Waverly-Shell Rock as a member of the conference. The vote passed the first stage 5-1, with the lone vote against the measure from Waverly-Shell Rock. More information on the process can be found below in the release sent out from the conference.
The move comes after the Upper Iowa Conference sent out invitations to 3 other Northeast Iowa Conference schools in New Hampton, Waukon and Crestwood, which would put the NEIC below the 6-team conference threshold and dissolve the league.
Waverly-Shell Rock was one of the founding members of the Northeast Iowa Conference when the league was formed in 1920, consisting of Charles City, Decorah, New Hampton, Oelwein, Cresco and Osage. Osage left the league in 1958 and Waukon joined in 1968. Oelwein was the most recent team to leave the league, joining the NICL for the 2021-22 school year.
Rumors circulated that if the league were to disband, the North Central Conference would be a likely landing spot for Charles City, making the Comets are far-eastern addition to the conference, which currently spans from Humboldt to Hampton and up to Clear Lake.
If the Resolution is passed, Waverly-Shell Rock would be removed from the NEIC following the 2022-23 school year.