Des Moines Christian Joins Little Hawkeye Conference 2026

Des Moines Christian has officially accepted an invitation to join the Little Hawkeye Conference starting with the 2026-27 school year, becoming the conference's ninth member alongside Ames, which is also joining at that time. This move reflects the conference's long-range vision to create a divisional model accommodating schools of different sizes to enhance competitiveness and sustainability. Current members include Dallas Center-Grimes, Indianola, Newton, Norwalk, Oskaloosa, Pella, and Pella Christian. Des Moines Christian's departure from the West Central Activities Conference may impact that conference's membership, with other schools in the region also considering realignment. Conference leaders emphasize shared values of academic and athletic excellence, and the new alignment aims to foster strong competition and community growth for all involved. Invitations extended to other schools such as Van Meter, Knoxville, and Urbandale have seen mixed responses, with Urbandale declining to join.