The Marshall Owls and their four counterparts in the North Central Missouri Conference have announced the league’s dissolution, after the 2025-26 school year.

Marshall along with Hannibal, Kirksville, Mexico and Moberly issued a joint statement Thursday morning, saying that maintaining the conference with just five members was not sustainable. Activities Director Kelly Callanan said the decision to dissolve was unanimous.

Marshall helped found the NCMC in 1971, departing from the Missouri River Valley Conference. The NCMC was dealt a blow over the summer when Fulton announced they would depart in 2026 for the Tri-County, nearly a decade after Boonville made the same move. KMMO News has learned that the NCMC had extended invitations to Centralia and Hallsville.  Centralia’s school board voted last month to not accept the invite, while Hallsville’s school board never formally considered the idea. Callanan says the top priority remains providing the best opportunity for Marshall’s student-athletes.

The final season of NCMC competition will take place over the 2025-26 school year. Callanan says discussions will take place as to a future conference affiliation as he and other districts begin crafting their schedules for fall 2026 and beyond. He also stresses that Marshall’s ability to participate in MSHSAA’s postseason and state tournaments would not be impacted by a lack of conference membership.