St. Joseph Bears Football

THE SOUTHWESTERN MICHIGAN ATHLETIC CONFERENCE
St. Joseph High School is a voluntary member of the Southwestern Michigan Athletic Conference. The value of membership in this conference is the aid it renders in the arranging of schedules, equalizing competition, conducting league championships, and generally upgrading the program of member schools through the establishment of conference standards and goals. Membership in this conference provides high schools the opportunity for local competition without excess travel, and aids in inter-school relationships and the promoting of good sportsmanship.

HISTORY OF THE CONFERENCE
The Southwestern Michigan Athletic Conference originated in 1931 and is now commonly known as the Big Sixteen. Charter member schools were St. Joseph, Niles, Three Rivers, Dowagiac, and South Haven. St. Joseph tendered its resignation in 1938 and made a re-appearance in 1940. The membership has varied since then. Accordingly, the historians make reference to the conference by its adopted name, but at times refer to it also as the Big Five, Big Six, Big Eight, or Big Sixteen as the number of teams indicates. The league for 2014 has dropped the "Big", choosing to remain as the Southwestern Michigan Athletic Conference going forward, no matter the number of members.

ALIGNMENT: PAST AND PRESENT
The Southwestern Michigan Athletic Conference expanded from eight teams to 16 teams in the 2001-02 school year. The original eight teams are; Battle Creek Central, Benton Harbor, Kalamazoo Central, Kalamazoo Loy Norrix, Niles, Portage Central, Portage Northern, and St. Joseph. When the league expanded in 2001, eight teams were added. Those teams are Battle Creek Harper Creek, Battle Creek Lakeview, Coldwater, Marshall, and Sturgis, who joined from the now disbanded Twin Valley Conference. Dowagiac and Lakeshore were added, both independent teams who were former members of the Lakeland Conference. Finally, Mattawan joined after being a member of the Kalamazoo Valley Association. Prior to the start of the 2006 school year, Dowagiac left the league and joined the Wolverine Conference. To fill the void, the conference welcomed Jackson Lumen Christi as a member for football only. In 2011 Richland Gull Lake joined for all sports except football, and fully joined for football in 2012.

When the conference expanded in 2001, the league was divided into 3 divisions with the East and West division having five teams and the Central Division having six.

Big 8 1977-1983

Battle Creek Lakeview
Holland
Kalamazoo Loy Norrix
Kalamazoo Central
Niles
Portage Central
Portage Northern
St. Joseph

After the 1983 season, Holland and Battle Creek Lakeview left the league, Holland joined the OK-Red, while Battle Creek Lakeview joined the Twin Valley

Big 8 1984-2000

Battle Creek Central
Benton Harbor
Kalamazoo Loy Norrix
Kalamazoo Central
Niles
Portage Central
Portage Northern
St. Joseph

In the largest expansion in league history eight new teams were added, bringing the total from eight to sixteen.

Big 16 Alignment 2001-2005
West Division	Central Division	East Division
Benton Harbor Dowagiac Lakeshore Niles St. Joseph	Battle Creek Central Kalamazoo Central Kalamazoo Loy Norrix Mattawan Portage Central Portage Northern	Battle Creek Lakeview Battle Creek Harper Creek Coldwater Marshall Sturgis

After Dowagiac's departure, Jackson Lumen Christi took their place for a season until a new football schedule rotation was started.

Big 16 Alignment 2006
West Division	Central Division	East Division
Benton Harbor Jackson Lumen Christi Lakeshore Niles St. Joseph	Battle Creek Central Kalamazoo Central Kalamazoo Loy Norrix Mattawan Portage Central Portage Northern	Battle Creek Lakeview Battle Creek Harper Creek Coldwater Marshall Sturgis

In 2007, Jackson Lumen Christi was placed in the East Division to align with the locations of the other schools. Mattawan moved to the West Division for football, all other sports moved to the West a year earlier.

Big 16 Alignment 2007-2008
West Division	Central Division	East Division
Benton Harbor Lakeshore Mattawan Niles St. Joseph	Battle Creek Central Kalamazoo Central Kalamazoo Loy Norrix Portage Central Portage Northern	Battle Creek Lakeview Battle Creek Harper Creek Coldwater Jackson Lumen Christi Marshall Sturgis

In 2009, the league realigned for football only, eliminating the Central Division. Kalamazoo Loy Norrix, Portage Central and Portage Northern will go to the West Division, while Battle Creek Central and Kalamazoo Central will move to the East. The new alignment also brings a new schedule format. The first two games of the season will be crossover games against the other division, the last seven weeks of the season will be inside the division. The rotation however is not equal because Loy Norrix and Kalamazoo Central will still play every season despite being in opposite divisions

Big 16 Alignment 2009-2010
West Division	East Division
Benton Harbor Kalamazoo Loy Norrix Lakeshore Mattawan Niles Portage Central Portage Northern St. Joseph	Battle Creek Central Battle Creek Harper Creek Battle Creek Lakeview Coldwater Jackson Lumen Christi Kalamazoo Central Marshall Sturgis

For the 2011 season, the Big 16 eliminated the Central Division in all sports (football was done in 2009), due to the addition of Gull Lake for all sports except football. Kalamazoo Central and Kalamazoo Loy Norrix will be switching divisions partly because of Gull Lake's addition.

Big 16 Alignment 2011
West Division	East Division
Benton Harbor Kalamazoo Central Lakeshore Mattawan Niles Portage Central Portage Northern St. Joseph	Battle Creek Central Battle Creek Harper Creek Battle Creek Lakeview Coldwater Jackson Lumen Christi Kalamazoo Loy Norrix Marshall Sturgis

For 2012, Jackson Lumen Christi rejoins the CAAC (Capital Area Activities Conference), while Gull Lake is in the Big 16 full time.

Big 16 Alignment 2012-2013
West Division	East Division
Benton Harbor Kalamazoo Central Lakeshore Mattawan Niles Portage Central Portage Northern St. Joseph	Battle Creek Central Battle Creek Harper Creek Battle Creek Lakeview Coldwater Gull Lake Kalamazoo Loy Norrix Marshall Sturgis

In 2014, Battle Creek Harper Creek, Coldwater, Marshall, and Sturgis drop out of the Big 16, the conference will use it's official name Southwestern Michigan Athletic Conference

Southwestern Michigan Athletic Conferene Alignment 2014-2015
West Division	East Division
Benton Harbor Lakeshore Niles Portage Central Portage Northern St. Joseph	Battle Creek Central Battle Creek Lakeview Gull Lake Kalamazoo Central Kalamazoo Loy Norrix Mattawan

Benton Harbor left the SMAC voluntarily after the 2015-16 season, leaving the SMAC with 11 schools for the 2016-17 season.
Southwestern Michigan Athletic Conferene Alignment 2016-2017
West Division	East Division
Lakeshore Niles Portage Central Portage Northern St. Joseph	Battle Creek Central Battle Creek Lakeview Gull Lake Kalamazoo Central Kalamazoo Loy Norrix Mattawan
Mattawan will move to the West Divsion in 2018 after a league realignment.
Southwestern Michigan Athletic Conferene Alignment 2018-2019
West Division	East Division
Lakeshore Mattawan Niles Portage Central Portage Northern St. Joseph	Battle Creek Central Battle Creek Lakeview Gull Lake Kalamazoo Central Kalamazoo Loy Norrix

Southwestern Michigan Athletic Conference Alighnment 2020
Battle Creek Central Battle Creek Lakeview Gull Lake Kalamazoo Central Lakeshore Mattawan Portage Central Portage Northern St. Joseph
Niles and Kalamazoo Loy Norrix have left the league, Niles for all sports. Loy Norrix for football in 2020.

Southwestern Michigan Athletic Conference Alighnment 2020
Battle Creek Central Battle Creek Lakeview Kalamazoo Central Lakeshore Mattawan Portage Central Portage Northern St. Joseph
Like Loy Norrix did in 2020, Gull Lake has dropped out of the league for football in favor of an easier schedule, and the SMAC is down to 8 teams after doubling in size to 16 exactly 20 years ago.