GENESEE COUNTY, Mich. — Two of Genesee County’s largest high schools are moving to a new athletic conference.
Grand Blanc and Davison will leave the Saginaw Valley League after the 2026-27 school year and join the Oakland Activities Association.
Davison Athletic Director Dave Beamer said the decision to move was not made lightly. In a statement, he called it a strategic move that reflects the school’s commitment to excellence and provides opportunities for its students, student-athletes, coaches and community.
Seniors at Grand Blanc High School said they are taking in the news.
“I like, read it out loud to her and we were like, oh my gosh, that’s going to be really cool. Like it’s going to be a new experience for us as a school,” said Milana Kia.
Another student said the move will bring tougher competition.
“We’ve been going up against these same teams for so long that I feel like now that we’re going to be going up against more competitive teams that it’s going to be way harder for our school to like adapt,” said Gabrielle Hannosh.
Students said the change will make games more competitive.
“It’ll make like football nights like more exciting. Because it’s going to be like way closer games and stuff,” said Kia. “It’s going to make our program way stronger. Just because of the level that we’ll kind of be advancing athletic-wise.”
The OAA includes programs like Rochester, Troy, and Bloomfield Hills, making it one of the most competitive leagues in Michigan. For students, their final year in the SVL will carry more weight before the switch becomes official in fall 2027.
“Previously, like last year we would go up against football teams, and they’d win by like 30 points and then we’d be like, we already knew this was going to happen. People were leaving early. So now, I feel like they’re gonna just be sitting in tents and on edge the whole game. It’s going to be way more fun I think,” said Hannosh.
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