// Workers AI · dad joke modeWhat did the Grand River Conference say to the speaker? You're flowing well.
Current season, competition or edition: 2025-2026 | |
| Formerly | Grand River Six |
|---|---|
| Association | MSHSAA |
| Founded | December 4, 1929 |
| Organizing body | Superintendents Of Member Schools (GRC) |
| No. of teams | 18 |
| Region | Northwest / Northeast Missouri |
Most recent champions | Softball: GRC - South Harrison / GRC West - Albany (2025)
11-Man Football: Putnam County (2025) 8-Man Football: Worth County (2025) Basketball (Boys): GRC - Gallatin / GRC West - Princeton (2025) Basketball (Girls): GRC - South Harrison / GRC West - Albany, Stanberry (2025) Baseball: GRC - Polo, Putnam County / GRC West - St. Joseph Christian |
| Most titles | Softball: South Harrison (10)
8-Man Football: Worth County (4) 11-Man Football: South Harrison/Princeton (18) Basketball (Boys): South Harrison (18) Basketball (Girls): South Harrison (18) Baseball: Putnam County/St. Joseph Christan (4) |
| Website | grandriverconference.com |
The Grand River Conference, is a high school athletic conference comprising small-size high schools located in northwest and north central Missouri. The conference members are located in Andrew, Buchanan, Caldwell, Daviess, DeKalb, Gentry, Grundy, Harrison, Linn, Mercer, Putnam, Sullivan, and Worth counties.
History
[edit]Founded in December 1929, the conference was formed with six schools: King City, Stanberry, Maysville, Bethany, Albany and Grant City as the Grand River Six. By 1936, the conference had grown to eight teams. Various schools joined and dropped over the years, with several schools switching to 8-player football a contributing factor. By 2011, the conference had ten members, and by 2016, the conference was at 16 teams.[1][2] On March 3, 2023, the superintendents of the conference voted to split into 2 separate conferences, Grand River Conference (GRC) and Grand River Conference West (GRC West), based on the previous divisional lines with Princeton joining the GRC West and giving the GRC the Brookfield Bulldogs (formerly of the Clarence Cannon Conference) and the Marceline Tigers (formerly of the Lewis & Clark Conference), who began GRC play in the 2024-2025 school year. On September 19, 2025, the GRC voted 8-1 to remove Polo from the conference at the end of the 2025-26 school year. Polo will become the third school in conference history to be dropped from the conference by the membership.[3]
Member schools
[edit]As of 2024, the Grand River Conference consists of eighteen high schools split into two separate conferences.[4][5][6]
Grand River Conference
[edit]| School | Nickname | Colors | City | County | Type |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brookfield | Bulldogs | Brookfield | Linn | Public | |
| Gallatin | Bulldogs | Gallatin | Daviess | Public | |
| Marceline | Tigers | Marceline | Linn | Public | |
| Maysville | Wolverines | Maysville | DeKalb | Public | |
| Milan | Wildcats | Milan | Sullivan | Public | |
| Polo* | Panthers | Polo | Caldwell | Public | |
| Putnam County | Midgets | Unionville | Putnam | Public | |
| South Harrison | Bulldogs | Bethany | Harrison | Public | |
| Trenton | Bulldogs | Trenton | Grundy | Public |
*Leaving the GRC after the 2025-2026 school year ends
Grand River Conference West
[edit]| School | Nickname | Colors | City | County | Type |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Albany | Warriors | Albany | Gentry | Public | |
| King City | Wildkats | King City | Gentry | Public | |
| North Andrew | Cardinals | Rosendale | Andrew | Public | |
| North Harrison | Shamrocks | Eagleville | Harrison | Public | |
| Pattonsburg | Panthers | Pattonsburg | Daviess | Public | |
| Princeton | Tigers | Princeton | Mercer | Public | |
| St. Joseph Christian | Lions | St. Joseph | Buchanan | Private | |
| Stanberry | Bulldogs | Stanberry | Gentry | Public | |
| Worth County | Tigers | Grant City | Worth | Public |
Affiliate Members of The Grand River Conference West (Wrestling)
[edit]| School | Nickname | Colors | City | County | Type |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rock Port | Blue Jays | Rockport | Atchison | Public | |
| East Atchison | Indians | Tarkio | Atchison | Public |
References
[edit]- ↑ Thorn, Cody (February 6, 2015). "Grand River Conference adds 4 to league's ledger". St. Joseph News-Press. Retrieved January 27, 2022.
- ↑ "Grand River Conference begins new era". Bethany Republican-Clipper. August 4, 2016. Retrieved January 27, 2022.
- ↑ "GRC History". www.grandriverconference.com. Retrieved March 20, 2026.
- ↑ "GRC Boys Basketball Standings". Grand River Conference. Retrieved January 26, 2022.
- ↑ Conger, Phil (October 23, 2020). "North Harrison to join Grand River Conference". Bethany Republican-Clipper. Retrieved January 27, 2022.
- ↑ "North Harrison joins GRC, as four Lady Shamrocks named to all-state softball teams". KTTN-KGOZ Sports. November 5, 2020. Retrieved January 27, 2022.