Another league seeks to expand.

The principals of the South Coast Conference have voted unanimously to explore possible league expansion. What that means at this point isn't exactly clear.

The SCC is much like the Hockomock, in that it is currently a nine-member association of schools that are contiguous, from Seekonk to the west to Bourne just on the other side of the Cape Cod Canal. For the most part, competition has been fair and equitable in all sports over the years -- but as always, there are some inequities that might be alleviated if more schools were in the fold and the SCC could split into large-school and small-school divisions.

The SCC actually tried to expand a few years ago, accepting Martha's Vineyard as a provisional member. But after just one full season, the Vineyarders were cut loose and the school joined the Eastern Athletic Conference this year.

Which leads to an interesting question: Might the EAC be part of this plan? Somerset is a likely applicant to an expanded SCC, which would leave the Vineyard and three Catholic schools (Bishop Feehan, Bishop Stang, Coyle-Cassidy) to fend for themselves. But if the EAC was absorbed into the SCC, that would create a 14-school league likely to split into two seven-school divisions.

It's doubtful, however, that the SCC would be any more open to the acceptance of Catholic schools than other leagues that have faced the same choice. The possible outcome of that can't be good news for Bishop Feehan High School, which is significantly larger than Stang, Coyle-Cassidy, Sacred Heart in Kingston and the new Pope John Paul II in Hyannis. I've often suggested that the only remaining alternative for Bishop Feehan would be to create a Catholic South Conference, but I'm not so sure the competition would be equitable.

Here are the South Coast Conference schools and their enrollments according to the most recent figures being used by the MIAA to align its divisions, and a few possible applicants and their enrollment figures.

SOUTH COAST CONFERENCE
School...........................Boys 9-12 .......Girls 9-12............Total
Greater New Bedford Voke........1092............924...........2016
Dighton-Rehoboth.....................559............521...........1080
Apponequet................................455............427.............882
Wareham....................................433............426.............859
Old Rochester............................336............387.............723
Bourne........................................332............373.............705
Fairhaven..................................308.............344.............652
Seekonk.....................................328.............324..............652
Case............................................297.............269..............566

POSSIBLE APPLICANTS
School..............Boys 9-12 ....Girls 9-12.......Total......Current
Sandwich..................510..............507............1017.......Atl. Coast
Somerset..................482...............514.............996.........EAC
Bishop Feehan.........434...............548.............982.........EAC
Dennis-Yarmouth.....507..............474..............981....... Atl. Coast
Bishop Stang ...........401...............423.............824.........EAC
Martha's Vnyd. .......388 .............361..............749.........EAC
Coyle-Cassidy..........336..............397..............733.........EAC
Norton .....................353..............369............. 722........Tri-Valley
E. Bridgewater .......316.............355...............671........South Shore
Mashpee..................313..............306..............619.......South Shore
Carver ....................268..............294..............562........South Shore

Anyway, that's just speculation. The plan is that if the SCC does expand, it would do so in the fall of 2011. Any schools that are really interested should make their intentions known to the SCC, care of Michael Devoll, Principal, Old Rochester Regional High School, 135 Marian Road, Mattapoisett MA 02719. Application deadline is Monday, Feb. 1, 2010.