Public League Unveils New Basketball Conferences
The Public League has overhauled its basketball system once again, bringing back the classic divisions that longtime fans will recognize. The Red West, Red South, Red Central, and Red North are making a return, offering more teams the opportunity to chase a surprising city championship run under a new playoff structure.
After only one season, the Red Shield/Red Star conference alignment has been abandoned. This year, teams are now organized into four directionally-based divisions within each of the major conferences, restoring a more traditional regional balance.
New Alignment Details
- Red Conference: Four divisions of eight teams each.
- White Conference: Four divisions of nine teams each.
- Blue Conference: Nearly identical structure, with the Blue Central hosting eight teams.
Previously, the upper-division Red Shield and Red Star each had twelve teams, but the new setup evenly redistributes schools across localized groups.
Red Conference Alignment
Red Central
- Dyett
- Englewood
- Hyde Park
- Kenwood
- King
- Perspectives-Leadership
- Perspectives-MSA
- Phillips
Red North
- Amundsen
- Lake View
- Lane
- Lincoln Park
- Northside
- Payton
- Taft
- Young
Red South
- Fenger
- Julian
- Morgan Park
- Lindblom
- Simeon
Red West
- Clark
- Crane
- Curie
- Farragut
- Manley
- Marshall
- North Lawndale
- Westinghouse
“This structure is close to the traditional setup many city basketball fans grew up with.”
The Public League had split into two "super conferences" back in 2017, merging South and Central teams into one division and the North and West into another. The new configuration restores a sense of community identity and classic rivalries across Chicago’s basketball landscape.
Author’s summary: The Public League reinstates its classic directional basketball conferences, reviving old rivalries and offering every team a chance for a Cinderella run in the city tournament.