The Arkansas Activities released conference assignments for basketball for the 2024-2025 and 2025-2026 seasons today and the Booneville Bearcats are now a member of a nine-team Conference 3A-4 that has undergone multiple changes.
The Lady Bearcats are still in an eight team league, which has likewise been thoroughly revised.
In both cases the league looks to be brutal.
Gone from the league are Danville and Hackett to Class 2A and Two Rivers to the 3A-5.
For both teams the newcomers are Lamar, Lavaca and Mansfield, with the boys also adding Subiaco. That means the girls will remain in an eight school league as Subiaco is a boys only private institution. The Trojans are already a member of the 3A-4 for baseball.
In boys play Lamar reached the Class 3A state tournament in 2024, Lavaca and Mansfield reached the state tournament in 2A, and Subiaco reached the state tournament in 4A.
In girls play the additions include a perennial title contender and 2024 Class 3A state tournament team in Lamar, and Mansfield, who reached the 2A state finals in 2024.
Ironically, the Bearcats and Lady Bearcats played both Mansfield and Lamar in nonconference games the past two seasons.
The holdovers for the league are the Bearcats/Lady Bearcats, Cedarville, Charleston, Cossatot River, and Paris. The Bearcats were also in the state tournament.
In boys play the 3A-4 and 3A-5 will have nine teams in the league vying for the four regional tournament spots. The 3A-3 and 3A-8 will have seven.
For regional tournament purposes, Conference 3A-4 remains paired with the 3A-1, which also underwent an overhaul with powers Bergman and Valley Springs shifting to the 3A-2, along with Flippin.
The complete 3A-1 is now Elkins, Greenland, Haas Hall Bentonville, Haas Hall Fayetteville, Lincoln, Providence Academy, Thaden, and West Fork.
BASKETBALL CONFERENCES SET; 3A-4 WILL BE FORMIDABLE
