| Founded | 1987 |
|---|---|
| Conference | IHSAA / IGHSAU |
| Teams | 9 |
| Sports | 17 |
| Region | Southern Iowa |
| Website | www.prideofiowa.org |
The Pride of Iowa Conference (POI ) is a high school athletic conference made up of 9 small schools in southern Iowa, United States.
Current members
| Institution | Location | Mascot | Colors | Affiliation | 2026-2027 BEDS[1] | Football Class |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Central Decatur | Leon | Cardinals | Public | 128 | A | |
| East Union | Afton | Eagles | Public | 102 | Eight-player | |
| Lenox | Lenox | Tigers | Public | 91 | Eight-player | |
| Martensdale-St. Mary's | Martensdale | Blue Devils | Public | 113 | A | |
| Mount Ayr | Mount Ayr | Raiders | Public | 115 | A* | |
| Nodaway Valley | Greenfield | Wolverines | Public | 151 | A | |
| Southeast Warren | Liberty Center | Warhawks | Public | 97 | Eight-player | |
| Southwest Valley | Corning | Timberwolves | Public | 148 | A | |
| Wayne | Corydon | Falcons | Public | 123 | Eight-player |
Mount Ayr shares a football team with Diagonal.
History
The conference was founded in 1987 with six schools: I-35, Wayne, Central Decatur, Mt. Ayr, Southeast Warren, and East Union. For the first 13 years of its history, the conference was quite small and compact. The conference added Nodaway Valley and Martensdale-St. Mary's in 1997, two schools in the same relative area of the state. In 2000 and 2001, the conference underwent a two-year, four-team expansion that more than doubled the geographical area of the conference. Corning (formerly of the Rolling Hills Conference) and Bedford (Corner Conference) joined in 2000; with Lenox (Rolling Hills Conference) and reaching into the Des Moines Metro Area by adding Pleasantville (Heart of Iowa Conference) in 2001. The conference has remained stable since then only losing two schools since 2001. In the fall of 2013, Corning and Villisca (Corner Conference) became Southwest Valley High School remaining in the Pride of Iowa for all activities. In 2018, founding school Interstate 35 and Pleasantville left the Pride of Iowa conference for the West Central Activities Conference, due to growing enrollment and proximity of schools to the Des Moines Metro, decreasing travel for both schools, especially Pleasantville. Beginning for the 2022-2023 school year, South Page School district will be whole-grade sharing with Bedford for the next 3 years.[2] South Page had previously been associated with Clarinda, who competes in the Hawkeye 10 Conference.
Beginning with the 2024-2025 school year, Bedford left the Pride of Iowa Conference to join the Corner Conference. [3]
On September 18, 2025, the Martensdale-St Marys Community School District voted to join the West Central Activities Conference. The school will join for the 2026-2027 school year.[4]
State championships
| Sport | Class | Year(s) | School |
|---|---|---|---|
| Baseball | 1A | 2004, 2010, 2011, 2012 | Martensdale-St. Mary’s |
| Baseball | 1A | 2006 | Lenox |
| Boys’ Basketball | 2A | 2006 | Nodaway Valley |
| Girls’ Basketball | 1A | 2011 | Martensdale-St. Mary’s |
| Boys’ Cross Country | 1A | 2002 | Nodaway Valley |
| Girls’ Cross Country | 1A | 2009 | Nodaway Valley |
| Football | Eight-player | 2008 | Lenox |
| Softball | 1A | 2012 | Martensdale-St. Mary’s |
| Boys’ Track and Field | 1A | 2014 | Mount Ayr |
| Girls’ Track and Field | 1A | 1988 | Mount Ayr |
External links
References
- ^ "IHSAA: Classifications"
- ^ "South Page, Bedford schools enter planning phase of tuition agreement"
- ^ "Bedford Approved To Join Corner Conference for 2024-2025 School Year". KMA News. Retrieved 8 April 2025.
- ^ https://www.indianola-ia.com/news/martensdale-st-marys-is-moving-to-the-west-central-activities-conference/article_a0b04cc0-59fc-41e4-9e51-d54c22ba8662.html