Mt. Carmel’s run as a member of the Big 8 Conference will apparently end in 2020, if not before.

At last night’s Wabash District #348 school board meeting, MCHS Principal Jake Newkirk said Big 8 officials will meet on March 6th to discuss the future of the league as Illinois implements a new district football schedule in 2021 that will eliminate the possibility of the Aces continuing to play football in the Indiana conference.

Newkirk said he expects Mt. Carmel to look at conference options in Illinois in other sports. He said initial overtures to that end have been promising.

Mt. Carmel’s departure as a football school in the Big 8 leaves the other 6 league schools scrambling. Newkirk said he expects clarity on the situation following the March meeting.

Click the link to hear Newkirk’s presentation to the school board.