Bittersweet.
That is how Greencastle officials describe the news they are leaving the Western Indiana Conference for a new, unnamed conference beginning with the 2024-25 school year.
"It's exciting and a little sad. We weren't looking to leave the WIC, and we weren't unhappy," Greencastle High School principal Chad Rodgers told The Putnam County Post.
On Monday night, the Greencastle School Board approved the departure from the Western Indiana Conference for a new conference that will feature the likes of North Putnam, Crawfordsville, North Montgomery, Western Boone, Frankfort, Southmont and Cascade, as well as the Tiger Cubs.
According to Rodgers, when North Putnam and Cascade, who was leaving the Indiana Crossroads Conference for the WIC, both decided to leave, that is when Greencastle officials began having internal conversations.
"In my opinion, movement by North Putnam in the spring and a desire to get to eight teams in the new conference played big roles. My take was the end goal was to get to eight teams in the new conference. It was new to us and we were content and fine in the WIC, and then things went dormant. Cascade then made the decision to leave and join the new conference and that changed the geography of things. We have good relationships with the WIC teams, and I appreciate the new conference being honest with us and giving us time to see what we wanted to do," Rodgers said.
Part of the internal conversations included talking to all athletic coaches, surveying athletic families and having discussions with both the middle school and high school athletic directors, as well as the superintendent, Rodgers said.
"We had no conversations with anyone. Everything was up front and we only talked with the conference. We had been invited, had heard rumors of leaving the WIC. In a meeting this fall, it was evident Cascade was leaving the WIC and we wanted to be diligent. When our neighbors left and there was seven teams, we had to look at it," Rodgers said.
The survey of the families was overwhelming in making a move, and Rodgers said 100 percent of the athletic coaches were in favor.
"The surveys offered three choices -- leave, stay or don't care. We gave facts and asked, and about 60 percent were in favor of leaving. All of our coaches were in favor," Rodgers continued.
Currently, Greencastle is in the Western Indiana Conference, which features Northview, Indian Creek, Owen Valley, Sullivan, Edgewood, South Putnam, North Putnam, Cloverdale, West Vigo, and Brown County.
Greencastle's football team already plays new conference member North Putnam in football, but Rodgers said Greencastle plays many of the other programs.
"One of the big positives with the new conference is distance. That was a big factor. Also, we have a lot more feeder programs in the new conference and more sports. We are more common in athletics and we are all more like sized," Rodgers said.
Despite the move, Rodgers is optimistic Greencastle can keep playing its county rivals as much as possible.
"We are excited about our new opponents, but we want to keep the county rivals as much as we can. We appreciate South Putnam and Cloverdale and the priority will be to try and keep them. The same with our regional games, like against Owen Valley. Those are great rivalries with a long history, big gates and everyone benefits when we play each other," Rodgers said.
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