The Raccoon River Conference is an eight team high school athletic league in central Iowa. Made up of mid-sized school districts located mostly west of Des Moines, all schools in the conference are currently 3A schools, the second largest class of schools in Iowa.
Current members InstitutionLocationMascotColorsAffiliation2026-2027 BEDSJoinedADMAdelTigers Public5001956–57BallardHuxleyBombers Public4551988–89Bondurant–FarrarBondurantBluejays Public6362011–12BooneBooneToreadors Public5102009–10CarlisleCarlisleWildcats Public5461996–97GilbertGilbertTigers Public4062020–21North PolkAllemanComets Public4722020–21WintersetWintersetHuskies Public3691998–99
Future members InstitutionLocationMascotColorsAffiliation2026-2027 BEDSJoiningDeparting ConferencePellaPellaLittle Dutch Public5792027-28Little Hawkeye ConferenceVan MeterVan MeterBulldogs Public2442027-28West Central Activities Conference
Former members • * Indicates that school is no longer operating InstitutionLocationMascotColorsLeft forDallas Center *Dallas CenterMustangs Consolidated with Grimes to form Dallas Center-GrimesDallas Center-GrimesGrimesMustangs Little Hawkeye ConferenceDexfield*RedfieldBlue Devils consolidated with Stuart-Menlo to form West Central ValleyEarlhamEarlhamCardinals Little Eight ConferenceInterstate 35TruroRoadrunners Pride of Iowa ConferenceGreene CountyJeffersonRams Heart of Iowa ConferenceMadridMadridTigers Central Valley ConferenceNevadaNevadaCubs Heart of Iowa ConferenceNorwalkNorwalkWarriors Little Hawkeye ConferenceNorth Polk CountyAllemanComets Heart of Iowa ConferenceOgdenOgdenBulldogs Heart of Iowa ConferencePanora*PanoraBluejays conoslidates with Linden to form Panora-LindenPanora-Linden*PanoraHawks Little Eight ConferencePerryPerryBluejays Heart of Iowa ConferencePCMMonroeMustangs South Central ConferenceRedfield*RedfieldBulldogs consolidated with Dexter to form DexfieldStuart*StuartDragons Little Eight ConferenceSaydelDes MoinesEagles Heart of Iowa ConferenceWaukeeWaukeeWarriors Central Iowa Metro LeagueWest Central ValleyStuartWildcats West Central Activities ConferenceWoodward*WoodwardHawks consolidated with Granger to form Woodward-GrangerWoodward-GrangerWoodwardHawks Heart of Iowa ConferenceCarrollCarrollTigers Hawkeye 10 Conference
History
The Raccoon River Conference was originally a small school conference. The conference's founding members were Bondurant–Farrar, Norwalk, Madrid, Woodward-Granger, Interstate 35, Waukee, Dallas Center-Grimes, and Adel–De Soto. When schools on the outer regions of the Des Moines metro began to experience significant growth, Bondurant–Farrar and Ogden decided to leave for the smaller Heart of Iowa Conference, and I-35 joined the Pride of Iowa Conference. Woodward-Granger soon followed, moving to the HOI conference. This flurry of change saw the league reform itself. By 1998, there were 14 members in the conference, competing in two divisions. The league then consisted of A-D-M, Ballard, Carlisle, Carroll, Dallas Center-Grimes, Jefferson–Scranton, Nevada, North Polk, Perry, Prairie City-Monroe, Saydel, Waukee, West Central Valley, and Winterset. Over the next two years, North Polk, Prairie City-Monroe, Waukee, and W.C. Valley all joined different conferences, leaving the league with ten teams. In 2007, Jefferson–Scranton left for the Heart of Iowa Conference. Nevada followed them there in 2009, the same year Boone joined the league.
Bondurant–Farrar rejoined the Raccoon River Conference in the 2011–12 school year. Dallas Center-Grimes, one of the league's founding members, left for the Little Hawkeye Conference in 2013.
Gilbert and North Polk both joined for the 2020–21 school year. They left their former conference, the Heart of Iowa Conference.
On September 15, 2025, the Carroll Community School Board unanimously voted to accept an invitation to join the Hawkeye 10 conference effective the 2026-2027 school year. https://carrollspaper.com/news/carroll-school-board-oks-move-to-hawkeye-ten/article_0ffc3bb9-352c-476d-8cee-94530045471c.html
On December 16, 2025, the Pella School Board unanimously voted to join the Raccoon River Conference, https://www.kniakrls.com/2025/12/16/pella-school-board-approves-raccoon-river-conference-invitation/ replacing the departing Carroll Tigers. They will join for the 2027-2028 school year, after departing the Little Hawkeye Conference. Pella has an enrollment of 609 BEDS for the 2025-2026 school year.https://www.iahsaa.org/classifications/
On December 19, 2025, the Van Meter school board officially approved a move to the Raccoon River Conference for the 2027-2028 school year.https://www.si.com/high-school/iowa/iowa-high-school-approves-change-to-new-conference-01kcw9f0bpzj
External links Official site
References