After the dominoes fell Monday, allowing for the dream matchup between the Illini West and Quincy Notre Dame football programs to be scheduled, euphoria reigned.
One media member dubbed it the game "we've waited a lifetime to see."
A lifetime might be stretching it some, but indeed, it's a game many area football fans have longed to see. And it's one they've always debated.
The debate will end Oct. 1, 2010, at Fuzz Berges Field.
Or maybe it will only intensify.
One thing is for certain, neither powerhouse program was afraid to face the other.
It makes you wonder: Why won't the rest of the West Central Conference follow Illini West's lead?
Macomb has, agreeing to face QND in Week 2, although some of the logistics are still being worked out. Pittsfield would, too, if the schedule would allow it. Saukees coach Don Bigley has said he would enjoy seeing the Pittsfield-QND rivalry renewed.
However, the rest of the revamped WCC is balking.
During a conference meeting Monday in Macomb, the WCC athletic directors voted to allow Unity to leave the league for football only in order to join the Western Illinois Valley Conference.
Unity, which co-ops with Payson Seymour, has a football enrollment of 372. That's roughly 100 fewer students than almost every other school in the 10-team league, which has an average enrollment of 489.
Meanwhile, the WIVC has an average enrollment of 258.
"Size-wise, it seems like a better fit for us," Unity athletic director Seth Klusmeyer said.
The WIVC althetic directors were scheduled to meet this morning to vote on adding a team to replace Bunker Hill, which left to join the Prairie State Conference. Unity and Metro East Lutheran are the two schools the WIVC has considered.
Unity's departure presented the WCC with a prime opportunity to invite QND to join. The Raiders' football enrollment is 717, which includes the 1.65 enrollment multiplier for non-boundaried schools.
QND's actual enrollment is 435, putting it on par with the WCC schools.
However, a vote to invite QND to join the WCC failed during Monday's meeting. The Moline Dispatch reported the vote was 7-2 against QND. Other sources said the vote was 6-3.
Regardless, a majority of the schools are balking for a reason.
Travel can't be an issue, with Pittsfield and Orion separated by 153 miles. Competitive balance can't be either, otherwise Illini West would be voted out because of its run of success. And don't say enrollment, because an opponent's enrollment is no longer a factor in playoff positioning.
So what is it?
No one will publicly say, but their hesitation is costing the WCC a chance to enhance its league profile and create consistently better Friday night matchups.
Illini West realized it and locked itself into a dream matchup. The rest of the league should follow suit.
-- mschuckman@whig.com/221-3366
