Let's save the Valley.

If you care about the Mississippi Valley Conference and want to see it continue as one of the premier football leagues in the state, take a stand and try to save it.

That's what the Metro Sports Report plans to do. We're going to try and save MVC football from extinction.

The MSR is proud to announce the "Save The Valley" campaign, aimed at preserving a league that was formed in 1935 and has a rich tradition in high school sports.

The move toward district football for Class 4A schools, if successful, would kill the Mississippi Valley Conference as a football league. The Valley would continue in other sports, but would cease to exist in football.

There wouldn't be any MVC football standings, no MVC champion, no MVC all-conference teams, no MVC Coach of the Year, no MVC statistics, no MVC anything in football.

The Board of Directors of the Iowa High School Athletic Association could vote in November or December to install district football for all Class 4A schools for the 2012 campaign. If they do, that means the end of the MVC as a football circuit.

We shouldn't let it happen, at least not without a fight. So let's Save the Valley.

The Metro Sports Report has decided to engage in "advocacy journalism" on this topic. We feel it's important.

We will continue to report all sides of the issues, all the pros and cons, but our editorial stance will be in favor of preserving the Mississippi Valley Conference as a football league.

We make no apologies for choosing sides. We'll be respectful of everyone who favors a move to district football, but our position is clear.

We want to save the Valley.

In the days and weeks ahead, we'll be interviewing key people and exploring ways to preserve the MVC as a football league. We welcome your ideas as well.

We'll make sure the leaders at the IHSAA get copies of our stories and we'll encourage them to consider all options. Maybe they just need to slow down and get more input before voting.

At the same time, we'll be looking for ways to help solve problems that have convinced IHSAA officials to seriously consider a move to Class 4A district football. There are scheduling problems, travel problems, gate problems, competitive problems and problems in terms of disparate school populations.

If we're going to try and save the Valley, we also should try to find ways to solve some of those problems. Maybe it means conference realignments, maybe it means shifting schools around, maybe it means taking a fresh look at things.

Does the CIML really need 18 teams? Does the Valley need 14 teams? Could some of the smaller Class 4A football schools be "excused" from the Valley and allowed to play in Class 3A if it means saving the rest of the league for football?

We welcome your thoughts. In fact, we encourage them. Let us know how you feel.

Send us an e-mail at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it . If you care about saving the Valley as a football league, give it some thought and make a suggestion. Likewise, let us know if you think Class 4A district football is a good idea.

We promise to listen either way, but our intent is clear. We want to Save The Valley.

Jefferson, Kennedy, Linn-Mar, Prairie, Washington and Xavier all play football in the Misssissippi Valley Conference. Let's try to keep it that way.

The Valley has been around for 76 years. Let's try for another 76.