Mt. Carmel High School has chosen to opt out of its final year as a member of the Big 8 Athletic Conference. Following the current school year, Mt. Carmel High School will no longer be a member of the Big 8 Athletic Conference.
In a press release issued earlier today, the Big 8 Athletic Conference announced that MCHS was voted out as a member of the Big 8 Athletic Conference at the completion of the 2019-2020 school year. Due to recent changes in the Illinois High School Association's (IHSA) football scheduling, Big 8 Conference Schools felt it was in their best interest to move forward without Mt. Carmel. This decision left Mt. Carmel with only three guaranteed football contests in the 2020-2021 school year.
Due to scheduling hardships, Mt. Carmel High School felt it would be in their best interest to pursue other options. When pursuing these options, it became clear that finding six, one-year contests was not feasible. However, finding opponents that were willing to schedule Mt. Carmel for two years became a viable option. One of the athletic department's top priorities through this process has been to ensure that our student-athletes are afforded the opportunity to play full schedules in the upcoming seasons.
Mt. Carmel has enjoyed its time as a Big 8 Conference member, and looks forward to continued partnerships with the remaining Big 8 schools.