SEMO Conference announces official changes for 2016-17

The SEMO Conference announced its official changes on Wednesday, all of which go into effect in the upcoming 2016-17 school year.

Kelly will join the conference in football, creating four divisions. The Hawks will join Charleston, East Prairie and Malden in the East Division. Chaffee, Hayti, Portageville and Scott City make up the West Division, while Caruthersville, Dexter, Kennett and New Madrid County Central are in the South Division. The North Division, which consists of the largest schools, remains the same with Cape Girardeau Central, Farmington, Jackson, Poplar Bluff and Sikeston.

In girls basketball, the SEMO Conference will host a tournament this year at Poplar Bluff High School. The tourney is scheduled to take place Nov. 28 through Dec. 2. Saxony Lutheran also joins the conference to make an eight-team field.

Saxony and Woodland will join the conference in track & field, establishing four divisions -- the North Division (Cape Central, Jackson, Notre Dame, Poplar Bluff, Sikeston), the South Division (Caruthersville, Dexter, Kennett, NMCC, Saxony), the West Division (Chaffee, Delta, Hayti, Oran, Scott County Central, Scott City) and the East Division (Charleston, East Prairie, Kelly, Malden, Woodland).